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Swamp Leatherflower

Clematis crispa

Found in marshes, tidal and non-tidal swamps, floodplain forests, disturbed wet or moist areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

49
Good

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height
6–10 feet
Spread
3–6 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Spring and summer

Recorded in 37 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

1 of 2

Freshwater marshes

Georgia pond and emergent wetland
Regional / representative. Shown: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia; representative pond ecosystem, a neighboring state.Georgia pond and emergent wetland, Robert 'Bob' Hynes, 1997. Public domain. Source record.

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 88 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Clematis

  • Alcathoe carolinensisClematis Borer Moth
  • Alcathoe caudataClematis Borer, Clematis Clearwing Moth
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Horisme intestinataBrown Bark Carpet
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Pseudothyris sepulchralisMournful Thyris
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Show all 11
  • Thyris maculataSpotted Thyris
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
9BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Clematis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Blue, pink, purple or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Marsh Clematis; Southern Leather Flower; Swamp Leather Flower

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources