Puawhananga or bush clematis is a beautiful splash of white flowers in the green forests of New Zealand in the spring. Here are some cool facts about this common spring flower.
I spent many years living in the Rocky Mountains of the USA where spring would bring a profusion of colorful flowers. Spring was so great with all of the colorful flowers after the long winters. Now that I live in New Zealand I see wildflowers, but not quite like I’m used to. New Zealand has lots of spring flowers that bloom, but most of them are introduced and are located in gardens. However, there are a few flowers in the native forests, including Puawhananga or bush clematis, that bring some color in the spring.
Puawhananga or Bush Clematis (Clematis paniculata)
This is a native climbing plant that is common all over the North Island (especially in lowland and mountain forests) and can be found along the coasts of the South Island and even on Stewart Island.
In the spring or early spring, August to November, it has lovely white flowers. You may be walking in a native forest at this time of year and see a spot of white flowers up in the tree tops. The white flowers have 6 petals and are large, up to 100 mm.
Puawhananga starts life as a seed on the forest floor. From there it begins to climb up, up, and up until it’s living on other trees.
There are about 300 species of Clematis growing around the world, but only 9 endemic species in New Zealand. Puawhananga may be the most common and most well know due to its prolific flowers in the spring.
Bush clematis can climb up to 10 or 12 meters high and the stems of old plants grow quite large in diameter (up to 10 cm).
The leaves are leathery, with the top surface being dark green and shiny while the underside is paler. The leaves can grow in a variety of shapes, with the edges being either smooth, wavy, or toothed.