[Clematis and Virgin'sbowers: The Genus Clematis East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis

Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata

Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

The photo above shows the trifoliate leaves and attractive, nodding flower of rock clematis as seen on west-facing slopes below the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington.........July 6, 2008.

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

The photo above shows the trifoliate leaves and attractive, nodding flower of rock clematis as seen on west-facing slopes below the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington..........July 6, 2008.

Flower of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of rock clematis as seen on west-facing slopes below the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington.........July 6, 2008. Note the numerous stamens surrounding the even more numerous pistils.

Leaf of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

The photo above shows the trifoliate leaf of rock clematis as seen on west-facing slopes below the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington...........July 6, 2008.

Flower of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana) - Leaves and flower of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis columbiana var. columbiana (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

These photos show a close-up of the trifoliate leaves and attractive, nodding flower of rock clematis as seen on west-facing slopes below the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington.........July 6, 2008.

Sideview of the flower of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana) - Ventral view of a flower of Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana) - Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

Rock clematis as seen in a hanging basket in the webmaster's yard where it blooms a month or so earlier than it would bloom in the wild...........March 17, 2016.

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana) - Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

Rock clematis blooming in woods along the Holland Falls National Recreation Trail #416, Flathead National Forest......May 27, 2023.

Rock Clematis, Columbia Clematis, Columbia Virgin's Bower, Purple Virgin's Bower, Western Blue Clematis, Western Blue Virginsbower, Western Clematis: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata (Synonyms: Atragene columbiana, Clematis columbiana, Clematis columbiana var. columbiana, Clematis grosseserrata, Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata, Clematis pseudoalpina, Clematis verticillaris var. columbiana)

Rock clematis blooming in a hanging basket at the webmaster's garden.........April 7, 2018. The plant has bloomed in the hanging basket faithfully for at least 5 years. The webmaster attempted to grow this plant in the ground (west of the Cascades) several times but was never successful to get them to survive, so hanging baskets seem to be a good alternative to get this choice plant to bloom west of the Cascades.

Paul Slichter