Clematis/Puawananga/Clematis paniculata
Characteristics: Quick growing, New Zealand native climber that bursts into beautiful white, starry flowers in spring.
Found: throughout New Zealand, often only seen as a mass of white amongst a sea of forest green across a valley.
New Zealand's native clematis is one of the more showy native plants, a beautiful mass of white flowers in spring, often high up in canopy of a native forest. In a bush setting, it is a beautiful splash of colour, often visible for miles.
In the wild, this woody vine will grow from the base of a tree to have a long, bare trunk with the foliage and flowers in the canopy, up to 12m above the ground.
Clematis and its cultivars can be grown in the garden, but it does have some specific requirements. Because in the wild it will naturally root in the cooler temperatures of the forest floor, the root system of a clematis needs to be cool and shaded. If other plants can’t be used as shade, you can try using a thick mulch or even a physical barrier of bits of wood or old pots; anything to keep it cool, moist and in the shade.
The ideal spot is to plant it amongst shrubs in a light, airy soil, and have somewhere for it to climb, like along your fence, or up an established tree. It won’t tolerate water-logged roots.
In your garden, the clematis is pretty hardy, tolerating dry summers, although a good long drink every now and then once the soil is dry will be appreciated. In a bush setting, plant your clematis in a shady, protected spot near the base of a larger tree (3-4m high). Once flowering is over, you can prune a rampant clematis back to half its size if required.
When choosing a clematis, if you want seedlings you will need a male and female of the species. Clematis are dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate plants); males have the bigger flower, while females carry flowers and berries.
The flowers are beautifully fragrant and vary depending on which cultivar you plant. Flowers are followed by pretty, fluffy seed heads. A clematis that is thriving will have hundreds of flowers dripping down, and are believed to be an indicator of whether summer will be early or late.
The native clematis, like its pest plant cousins, is a fast-growing plant, extremely vigorous and thrives in most areas, so long as you protect its roots, even tolerating frost.
Warning: Do not confuse native clematis with pest plants like Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba). A mature specimen of Old Man’s Beard has five leaves and rough bark on its vine. Native clematis has three leaves, smooth bark and flowers from summer to autumn. Old Man’s Beard is a serious plant pest in many parts of NZ and should be destroyed.
Nadene Hall