| Clematis viticella | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Clematis |
| Species: | C. viticella |
| Binomial name | |
| Clematis viticella | |
Clematis viticella, the Italian leather flower, [1] purple clematis, [2] or virgin's bower, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Southern Europe and Western Asia, from the Italic Peninsula to Iran. [3] This deciduous climber was the first clematis imported into English gardens, where it was already being grown in 1569 by Hugh Morgan, apothecary to Elizabeth I. [4] By 1597, when it was already being called "virgin's bower", there were two varieties in English gardens, a blue (actually a purple-blue) and a red. [5] [6]
All varieties of Clematis viticella are hardy in winter, tolerant of both sun and shade, and resistant to clematis wilt. [7]
