Clematis aristata
Mountain or Austral Clematis, Old Man's Beard, Minam 'Berang
Woody climber, suckering to form new plants. Ascends to upper storey canopy.
Additional information
- FamilyRanunculaceae
- StoreyUpper storey
- SizeVigorous climber to 15 m high
- Plant groupingClimbers & creepers
- LeavesLeaves dull, paired with serrated edges, juvenile - egg-shaped, purplish with white lines, adult - divided into 3 leaflets, leaflets egg-shaped, 3-8 cm x 1-5 cm. Stalks often twisted around other stems.
- Flower colourCreamy white
- Flowering timeAugust to March
- FlowersMale & female flowers on separate plants (dioecious). Branched bunches of starry flowers. Female flowers followed by feathery 'catherine wheel' seed heads.
- Bird attractingSeeds
- Butterfly attractingNo
- Frog habitatNo
- Growing conditionsMoist to wet well drained soil in cool forests and gullies. Full sun to full shade.
- Garden useBeautiful but vigorous creeper for larger gardens. Requires a cool root run. Can be pruned. Useful on pergolas and trellises but will become open below the canopy.
- Commercially availableGenerally
- Conservation statusWidespread within the Shire
- Aboriginal Use Food - tap root
- Related speciesClematis glysinoides occurs in the moist to wet forests around Warburton. It differs from C. aristata in that adult leaflets are glossy and do not have serrated edges.
Photo Gallery
Photographer/s: 1 Healesville Sanctuary ©; 2-7 Marilyn Bull ©
Plant Communities