Clematis drummondii aka Texas Virgin's Bower

Clematis drummondii is a woody climbing vine in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Its native range runs from Colorado south into Mexico. Kew places it in a temperate climate range. The vine can reach 20 feet (6.1 metres) in height. It climbs over a support rather than forming a freestanding crown. Its growth can form a dense tangle over that support. In time, it can cover the structure that holds it. This climbing form is a key part of its garden character.

The leaves grow in opposite pairs and fall seasonally. Each leaf is pinnate, with five to seven leaflets. The leaflets can reach 0.25 feet (0.076 metres) long. Their edges have teeth, but their shape can vary. Some leaflets have three deep lobes; others have no lobes. The long leaflet stalks help the vine hold its support. The rachis, or central leaf axis, also wraps around nearby objects. These leaf parts give the plant a means to climb. Young stems are pale green and bear some fine hairs. As they age, they turn brown and lose those hairs. The stems have ridges and a thin, wiry form. Young bark is smooth and light brown. Older bark splits lengthwise and peels into long, ragged strips.

The species has male and female flowers on separate plants. Its greenish-white flowers appear in early summer on branching panicles. Each flower spans about 0.08–0.10 feet (0.025–0.032 metres). Four sepals sit beneath the stamens or pistils. Those central flower parts stand out more than the sepals. The flowers themselves make a modest display. The later fruit heads draw more notice than the blooms. Each fruit is an achene, a small, dry, brown fruit. It carries a white, feathery plume about 0.25 feet (0.076 metres) long. The fruits gather into heads and mature in fall.

Its main visual traits change as the growing season passes. Early summer brings the small, pale flowers among the compound leaves. Fall brings the more striking heads of plumed fruit. The dense climbing growth also shapes how the plant looks. It can hide much of its support beneath tangled stems. Its leaf stalks and leaf axes anchor that growth as it climbs.