Clematis gilbertiana

Clematis of the Month for October 2025

Described by Fiona Woolfenden

C. gilbertiana - male plant

Last year (2024) we were in Western Australia in November, admiring some native clematis flowers and many seedheads. It was a clematis but which one? At the time I thought I had read in a book in Australia that it was called Clematis pubescens. Returning home I spent some time browsing through my Clematis books (see Note at end) and identified that it was more likely to be Clematis gilbertiana.

The best reference books I found were "Clematis the Genus" by Christopher Grey-Wilson and "The International Register and Checklist 2002", both of which describe Clematis gilbertiana as being found on this side of Australia and known as Clematis aristata var. pubescens , which ties in with a plant book I found in Australia. If you are interested in learning more and the difference between the two species I would suggest that you consult Christopher Grey-Wilson’s book.

C. gilbertiana - cluster

We saw these plants at the end of their flowering period at the bottom of Western Australia, so they had been in flower for a month or so earlier. We were visiting friends who lived in Augusta on the southern coast, and we had gone for coffee at a cafe to the south of Augusta, called The Colour Patch, by an estuary called Hardy Inlet. So if you visit here from September to mid-November you should find clematis in flower. I think that the habitat here would be described as dry as I remember sand being around the paths and under the bushes and trees. The clematis were growing in a number of native bushes and trees. Some of the plants were quite tall as you can see from the photo of myself in front of the seedheads.

C. gilbertiana seedheads glistening in the sun

The author overshadowed by C. gilbertiana seedheads above her head

Walking south from the café we spotted some magnificent clematis seedheads glistening in the sun. After spending some time taking photos of the seedheads we then discovered a few flowers. The flowers have 4 thin, widespread tepals and were about 7 cm or 3 inches across. Looking at the photos of the flowers afterwards, I realized that they were all male flowers. Australian Clematis species are usually dioecious (they have separate male and female plants) as are the native Clematis species in New Zealand. We visited this same area in October 2013. I found my photos from then and managed to find a picture of a female plant and some more windswept seedheads that were more developed.

C. gilbertiana, female plant, taken in 2013

Windswept seedheads of C. gilbertiana, taken in 2013

On other visits we have seen native species clematis growing in nearby Karri forests which I assume were the same clematis. Karri trees are eucalyptus trees found in the south of Western Australia. The clematis flowers can really stand out as little white stars in the gloom and shadows under the tall Karri trees. The clematis often give the effect of hanging in garlands under the Karri trees.

If you are interested in reading more about Clematis aristata then the late Brewster Rogerson described Clematis aristata as the Clematis of the Month for February 2003 and you can find his article here at https://www.clematisinternational.com/page76.html.

Note

Section Aspidanthera, Clematis the Genus by Christopher Grey-Wilson, Page 58 onwards

Clematis section Aspidanthera, The Genus Clematis by Magnus Johnson, Page 496 onwards

The International Register and Checklist 2002

Fiona Woolfenden