About Clematis heracleifolia DC.
Clematis heracleifolia, common name tube clematis, also known as da ye tie xian lian in Chinese, is a flowering plant species belonging to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is native to central and northern China. Unlike most other species in the genus Clematis, this plant has a scrambling growth habit instead of a climbing one. It is a deciduous sub-shrub that grows to 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall and reaches up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) broad. It produces broad downy leaves arranged in groups of three, and delicate clusters of elongated tubular blue flowers bloom in late spring and summer. Mature flower blooms recurve, bending backwards to form a trumpet shape. Occasional repeat flowering can happen in autumn. The Latin specific epithet heracleifolia translates to "with leaves resembling hogweed", referring to the genus Heracleum. The cultivar 'Cassandra', which bears fragrant flowers, has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
