PlantFiles: Mountain Clematis, Goat's-Beard
Clematis aristata

This is a vigorous and somewhat invasive vine in my yard. It sets large canoe shaped seed pods that open into fluffy flying seeds that seem to sprout wherever they land. I have it on both my front fence where it gets huge amounts of heat and sun and at the gate near my front steps where it is shaded by a large Pine it tries to climb every chance it gets. I get lots of compliments on it from passersby when it blooms but it is difficult to keep in check, I am constantly pruning it back hard all season yanking it up by the roots and yet it rallies again fast and furious! Good only to cover ugly chain link fence I think or in a tub or someplace where you can control the roots.

This is one of Australia's native Clematis species and is quite common in South-Eastern Australia. It grows well in Morwell National Park, which it shares with another very similar species Clematis glycinoides. Glycinoides has shiny green leaves without teeth, whereas aristata has mat leaves with several marginal teeth. The flowers are almost indistinguishable. It can climb to quite a height and the masses of white flowers are a real picture in the spring. I have successfully grown them from seed for local revegetation projects, but have not yet establsihed one in my garden.