Purple Clematis

Clematis occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names western blue virginsbower or purple clematis.^[1] It is native to much of southern Canada and the northern United States.

Clematis occidentalis has compound leaves with three leaflets. Its leaflets measure between 1.5 and 3.5 inches in length and up to 2 inches in width, featuring either a toothless edge or a few shallow teeth. The leaflets have sharply pointed tips and are attached to a hairy stalk. Their shapes can range from an egg or teardrop shape to a heart shape, and occasional irregular lobes in two or three parts. The surfaces of the leaflets are either hairless or sparsely hairy, sometimes transitioning to a hairless state. Clematis occidentalis lacks tendrils on its stems. The leaf stalks twine around surrounding vegetation and structures for support. The stems are predominantly round to squarish, generally hairless, and may display a purplish hue, with the lower stem becoming woody.^[2]