Clematis flowers, Kahuterawa Valley, near Palmerston North

Clematis (Clematis paniculata, or Puawhananga) is an attractive flowering vine that can be found in lowland forests, particularly around forest margins, throughout New Zealand. C. paniculata is New Zealand’s largest and best known leaf climber (so-called because it relies on its clasping leaves to provide purchase on the host tree or shrub that it is climbing), and commonly climbs to the tops of trees as tall as ten metres with stems reaching up to ten centimetres in diameter. Its delicate white, lightly scented flowers are a welcome harbinger of spring and from about August through to November huge sprays of Clematis flowers make for a stunning sight against the dark forest canopy.

This example was photographed in the Kahuterawa Valley, near Palmerston North, where C. paniculata is commonly found on roadsides and in bush remnants scattered throughout the area.