Herb: Fragrant Virgin's Bower


Latin name: Clematis flammula


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Edible parts of Fragrant Virgin's Bower:

Young shoots - cooked. Some caution is advised due to reports of toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Climber

Height:
4 m
(13 feet)

Flowering:
August to
October

Scent:
Scented
Climber

Habitat of the herb:

Hedges, thickets and waste places.

Other uses of Fragrant Virgin's Bower:

Plants can be grown as ground cover, planted about 1.2 metres apart and allowed to scramble over the ground.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as soon as it is obtained in a cold frame. Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and remove as much of the tail and outer coat as possible. A period of cold stratification is beneficial. The seed germinates in 1 - 9 months or more at 20°C. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Internodal cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, late spring in sandy soil in a frame. Cuttings of half-ripe inter-nodal cuttings, June/July in a frame. Layering of old stems in late winter or early spring. Layering of current seasons growth in early summer.

Cultivation of Fragrant Virgin's Bower:

Hedges, thickets and waste places.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Clematis flammula:

All parts of the plant are poisonous, the toxic principle is dissipated by heat or by drying.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.