Hi fellow green-thumbers: On my walks, here in Southern Manitoba, over several years I've seen a very attractive vine growing on a fence, in a partially shaded yard. Haven't been able to find anything similar on the internet. Unfortunately, I haven't paid attention to the leaves. The flowers look like a dusky pink lion's mane , in the shape of a round bell. In the Autumn, the bare stems keep that sort of ball-shape, while the "petals" turn to something resembling grey dandelion fuzz. Sorry, no picture, either. Any suggestions? Thanks. Lys
Thanks for your response. No, not a clematis,I don't think; although I recognize they come in many forms. This flower looks more like a(pink) dandelion would if the petals grew longer and arched like a decorative water fountain. The only other shape comparison I can think of are those copper head-massagers. Not being terribly educated in flora, I wonder if these are just stamens that I'm seeing? I'm thinking perhaps it would be simpler to just go knock on their door, and ask what it is! Next time, I'll make note of the leaves, if there are still any on the vine. Lys
Had a random thought last night - might "my" pink lions-head vine be a form of Protea? There is a similarity to the appearance of the 10 or so types I've seen. Does Protea come in a vine that would be hardy in our Northern climate? Lys
Hello Lysistrata I don't believe Proteas come in a vine form and as they are from South Africa and Western Australia they would not be hardy in Winnipeg A photo will help but I was always told Lions mane was a species or cultivar of Phlomis. arrgghh that is the problem of common names from all over the world. Here is a link to what I have always been told is Lions mane http://www.em.ca/garden/per_phlomis_tuberosa.html http://www.floracyberia.net/spermatophyta/angiospermae/dicotyledoneae/lamiaceae/phlomis_purpurea.jpg Maybe?
"Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot." Thanks for the response, and the information. Afraid that's not it. The designation "lion's mane" was mine, and purely a physical description, as it's somewhat like a 1 1/2 inch diameter pink pincushion Protea on it's last legs. Not sure why I'm finding something so simple, very difficult to describe. How I wish I'd approached this forum during the summer. I don't have a scanner, and seldom use my poor-quality digital camera. Merci bien, Lys.
It's not a vine, but the flower description is beginning to sound like bee-balm, or [WIKI]Monarda[/WIKI]. Unfortunately, the seedhead description doesn't match that either (though it is a match for a Clematis, which is what is baffling). Even if you could pluck a seedhead and scan it or take a pic of it, that would be helpful.
Looked up photos of Monarda(bee-balm) but that's not it either. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner, and my digital camera is the pits. Best I can do is go over there and count the number of stamens and look at the leaves, and check that it is, indeed, a vine. We've had heavy-duty winds and snow here, and are expecting more, so I can only hope there's something left to look at. Thank you so much for your interest. Lys
I'm baaaaack! Went for a walk and looked again at this curious vine. There are probably 100 seeds per head, attached to hair-thin, grey feather-covered stems (corona, perhaps?). It is, for sure, a vine, and the leaves are (oh dear) triumvirate?They are saw-toothed,soft leaves, generally oval, with a long point, and grow opposite one another (not alternately from the stem). Looking for more photos; I've found two on which the blossoms look similar, though they clearly are not related to this vine. Samanea (MonkeyPod) and Syzygium Jambos ( Malabar Plum). The vine corona are drooping, rather than upright as these blossoms are. I'm sure there were more like 50 little stems bearing their rosy lions mane - would they have developed 2 seeds per stem, and divided? How DO you answer questions from people who don't have basic knowledge of plant physiology? Lys.
Lys, forgive me if I'm suggesting something that you have already tried, but go back to Daniel's clematis suggestion. Instead of using a search engine to bring up images of flowers, do a search for images of clematis seed heads. Some of these really do seem to match your descriptions.
Went a-searching, per your suggestion, for images of Clematis seed heads. The vine in question has leaves very similar to "Markham's Pink", which suggests you are both correct, that it is a Clematis. The closest I found to a similar seed-head was Clematis Vitalba "Old Man's Beard" although "my" vine flowers are symmetrical and neat in shape. If this is not completely solved, I'll take photos next season and drop around to my local i-net cafe and have them scanned. Thank you both for persisting. Lysistrata. Sorry, I neglected to click on your highlited "Images of Clematis Seed Heads". and so missed the most obvious ones. Yes, Clematis seedheads 1 & 11 are very much like what I have seen. Unfortunately the photos don't give the name of this particular type, and I can't get a good look at the leaves. I brought home one of the heads to look at, and have put the seeds in a small pot of dry soil with a shallow layer overtop, & thought I'd leave it outside like that for the winter. I haven't a hope of growing Clematis on our very windy, full-sun balcony, but thought I'd see what happens in the Spring. Lys
"lionhead" clematis Late last Fall I requested identification on a fuzzy "lionhead" plant in our neighbourhood in Winnipeg, and was advised it was probably a clematis. Right you are! I just saw it for the first time in bloom. Four petals only ( are they petals?) in the form of a cross, beautiful medium purple with a white centre. Of the five pots I planted early last winter, one has something growing in it. It may not be the clematis, but it is certainly someting unfamiliar, so I have my fingers crossed. Thanks so much for your help. Lysistrata
