Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) is a member of the Buttercup family that blooms in late summer in southern Ohio. It is a native perennial plant that is a long vine that has characteristics of both woody and herbaceous plants. It climbs by means of the leaves coiling around bushes and fences. A single vine can produce all staminate flowers (male), all pistillate flowers (female) or all perfect flowers (both male and female). It is a wildflower that exhibits its’ beauty in three stages – as a flower, as a fruit and as a seed. The flower is quite fragrant and does not have petals but instead has petal-like sepals. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is sometimes called Old Man’s Beard because the fruit has the appearance of long, silver-gray plumes resembling an old man’s beard. It has also been called Devil’s Darning Needle due to the distinctive fruit. The Cherokee, Iroquois and early American herbalists used this plant for a variety of medicinal purposes, most likely in very small quantities. Like other members of the Buttercup family, it is highly toxic. Touching the leaves can raise raise blisters in sensitive individuals. Ingestion can cause bloody vomiting, severe diarrhea, fainting and convulsions. It can also cause severe pain in the mouth if eaten. It’s hard to believe that such an attractive wildflower can produce such horrifying consequences. Its’ potential for harm should not inhibit us from enjoying its’ beauty in all three stages. Posted by Dave Kuehner
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:38:14 +0000
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