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Swamp Leatherflower

Clematis crispa

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in marshes, tidal and non-tidal swamps, floodplain forests, disturbed wet or moist areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

48
Good

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

Profile 100%

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 26 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

10CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Clematis

  • 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
  • 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

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources