Clematis heracleifolia, the tube clematis (大叶铁线莲 da ye tie xian lian), is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to central and northern China. Unlike most other members of the genus Clematis, it has a scrambling rather than a climbing habit.[1]
Growing to 1m (03feet) tall by up to 50cm (20inches) broad, it is a deciduous sub-shrub with broad downy leaves in groups of three, and delicate clusters of elongated tubular blue flowers in late spring and summer. Mature blooms recurve (bend backwards) into a trumpet shape. Repeat flowering sometimes occurs in autumn.[2]
The Latin specific epithet heracleifolia means "with leaves resembling hogweed" (Heracleum).[3]
The cultivar 'Cassandra', with fragrant flowers, has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4]