Monday, July 18, 2011

Four, Five, Six... What's up with this?

This is my clematis.

It's been growing happily at the corner of our deck for a number of years, its beautiful 4-petaled flowers brightening my day whenever I look at it.

But.

This year is different.

Four petals:


And five petals:


And six petals:


Wait, what?
How can the same clematis vine have totally different flowers on it?
Any botanists out there?

9 comments:

Bobbie Wallace said...

I've never grown clematis, so I have no idea, but that is weird! Maybe it has something to so with the age of the plant; kind of like how money trees get more leaves as they are older? Love the color though!

Joansie said...

I love, love, love clematis. Though I have a green thumb, I've never been successful with it. Yours are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing

Unknown said...

Its called a 'sport' a spontanious genitic anomaly. who know maybe some garden /nursery supply company will see you blog post, and contact you.

delicious apples are a sport--a branch on an other variety of apple tree, suddenly just started to produce delicious apple--and all the the delicious apple in the world are clones from that branch.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

That is strange - but to be honest - I've never seen four-petaled clematis before. Mine have always been six.

Dorothy said...

Perhaps a strange mutant clematis caused by radiation drifting over from Japan?

Cookie said...

I agree with Helen. Very pretty, btw.

xo

Bullwinkle said...

A friend's has 6 petals (I went over to check - I've been meaning to get that into my yard for ages, but not just now (too hot).)

But more importantly - what have you been watering it with ;)

Angie said...

That's interesting! And so are the suggestions...I especially like the watering question. :D

Laurie said...

Very weird. Odd things are happening in Vermont, clearly.