Pipestem clematis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clematis lasiantha |
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| Clematis lasiantha in Mt. Diablo State Park, Contra Costa County, California | |
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Clematis lasiantha, also known as the pipestem clematis, is a beautiful vine with creamy-white flowers. It's a type of liana, which means it's a woody vine that climbs up other plants or structures. This plant belongs to a big group of plants called Clematis.
Where Does Pipestem Clematis Grow?
You can find the pipestem clematis along the Pacific Ocean coast of North America. It grows from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, heading south all the way into Baja California in Mexico.
This vine also grows as far east as the western hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. However, it does not grow in the Central Valley. You won't find it at heights greater than about 2,000 meters (about 6,560 feet) above sea level. It likes to grow on hillsides, in chaparral areas, and in open woodlands.
What Does Pipestem Clematis Look Like?
The pipestem clematis flowers from January to June. Its leaves have three lobes, which means they are divided into three rounded parts. These leaves usually grow in groups of three to five small leaflets. The largest leaves on the plant are normally between 3 and 5 centimeters (about 1 to 2 inches) in size.
You can tell the pipestem clematis apart from a similar plant called virgin's bower. Here's how:
- Pipestem clematis usually has only one flower on each stalk. Sometimes it might have up to three.
- Virgin's bower, on the other hand, has many flowers on each stem.
- The pipestem clematis also has more pistils (the female parts of the flower) in each flower. But since both plants have many, this can be hard to count!
Another way to tell them apart is where they grow. Virgin's bower is often found near streams or in wet places. The pipestem clematis can handle drier, more open areas.
