# Purple Clematis (*Clematis occidentalis*) The Purple Clematis is a beautiful flower with bright purple petals. It loves to climb and can grow on fences or trees, making gardens look magical and colorful. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Urban areas, gardens ![Purple Clematis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Clematis_occidentalis_4945.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clematis_occidentalis_4945.JPG) ## Appearance The Purple Clematis is a graceful climbing vine adorned with striking, bell-shaped purple or bluish-purple flowers. Its delicate petals often flare outwards, revealing creamy white stamens at the center, making it visually distinct. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ranunculales - **Family:** Ranunculaceae - **Genus:** Clematis ## Interesting facts - Its nodding, bell-shaped flowers seem to 'ring' in the forest breezes! - Native to North America, it brings purple beauty to rocky woodlands. - Part of the buttercup family, it's tougher than its delicate look suggests. - The plant’s name comes from Greek, meaning 'a climbing plant'. ## Special abilities - **Nature's Ladder:** Purple Clematis can cling to surfaces with its leaf stalks, helping it climb high to reach sunlight. - **Winter Warrior:** This plant can withstand freezing temperatures, allowing it to regrow vigorously each spring. - **Wind Rider Seeds:** Purple Clematis produces seeds with long, feathery tails, which catch the wind to spread far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 150-300 cm - **Spread:** 50-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Two-spotted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/two-spotted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus bimaculatus*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — lightly browses stems and leaves - **Depends on:** [Northern Red Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-red-oak) (*Quercus rubra*) — climbs host trees for support and light ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching flowers, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Purple Clematis? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Purple Clematis? 150-300 cm ### How wide does Purple Clematis spread? 50-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on Purple Clematis? 3-5 cm ### When does Purple Clematis bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Purple Clematis edible? No ### Is Purple Clematis toxic? Mild ### What is Purple Clematis's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bristol Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bristol-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Cut Bank Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cut-bank-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [North Entrance Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-entrance-road-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mammoth-hot-springs-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Swiftcurrent Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/swiftcurrent-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Gladstone Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gladstone-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Purple Clematis](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/purple-clematis) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Purple Clematis: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/purple-clematis)