Sorry I have no images at this time but I hope to have some soon. In the meantime I'm trying to identify a clematis that is growing on my Mother's property. The plant looks like the native blue clematis Clematis occidentalis but its yellow. The only plant I can find that looks similar is Clematis tangutica but I don't see how that can be as the property is in the middle of nowhere; my Mother bought 10 acres of undeveloped land (surrounded by crown land) about 20 years ago and then cleared and built her house and barn. Shortly after she purchased the land we walked the property line and discovered several blue clematis as well as some of these yellow clematis growing on the property but it wasn't until a recent trip up to visit that I thought I should try to put a name to the plant. Although not common, both the blue and yellow vines can be found growing under birch and pines as well as among boulders. All the information I've read on Clematis tangutica states that it is an invasive but I don't see how that is possible because the location is so remote that there are only a few scattered farms in the valley with less than 30 people living year round, and no one else has anything like it in their gardens. Her property is located about 1 hour NW of 100 Mile House, BC with the only access being via a logging road that is no longer active. And temperatures in her area can dip to -45C in the winter so this plant is very resilient. Any thoughts on the identity would be appreciated.
Your mother is amazing - equally as resilient as the clematis! I grew Clematis tangutica for a few years in a former garden but never found any seedlings. I read that C. tangutica is hardy to Zone 5 or 6 depending on what source you look at but I think -45C would be lower. Do you know? It would sure be nice to see a picture of the yellow clematis . . .
Zone 2 is -40C to -45C but she can usually grow zone 3 plants without issue, which is -34C to -40C. There are even a few zone 4 plants that have survived (-29C to -34C) but not many can handle the temperatures and almost 6 months of snow on the ground.....there is a very short actual growing period for plants so perennials will grow very slowly.
Sorry for the delay, here are the images of the clematis.....I'm hoping to get more of the leaves and the plant itself.
Looks just like it (C. tangutica), both in leaf and flower. And any clematis with the same general characteristics would have had to have been this one. Or one of the other, superficially similar yellow Clematis species with nodding flowers.
Clematis tangutica. If there was no previous habitants in the history, then maybe seeds were carried there by wind.
That flower certainly looks like Clematis tangutica to me but, if so, how do we explain the fact that is apparently growing in a much colder area than many sources state it can survive? If online sources are correct in saying that it is hardy to US Zone 5 with a minimum average range of temperatures from -10° to -20°F, how is it apparently thriving in much colder temperatures of Zone 2 or zone 3? Is this a particularly hardy Clematis tangutica or a microclimate situation? (Zone 2 is -40C to -45C . . . -40F to -49F; Zone 3 is -34C to -40C . . . -29F to -40F) After a little more reading, I see that C. tangutica is becoming invasive in many areas of Alberta which are as cold in winter as where pmurphy's mother lives. https://abinvasives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FS-YellowClematis.pdf
I think cold hardiness is not a big issue here. My Clematis tangutica and Jackmanii Clematises have survived winters with as low as -34ºC temperatures in my generally zone 5 winter climate, without any protective measures, although they generally recommend to cover clematises for winter here. My tangutica has open growing site, my Jackmanii Clematises are growing against the south wall of my house, the tangutica grows north of the house, on a clear spot where only a metal fence is offering support and some protection. In Canada, I've heard, there is much more snow than here. So clematises have better natural protection.
Thank you all for you input, I will definitely have to have a closer look at this plant the next time I visit. What I can't figure out though is if it is C. tangutica, how did it get to such an isolated area as the plants that are there are few and far between.
