Clematis paniculata

Labour weekend, so busy in the hills, but we went to Mt Richardson for a morning walk onto the tops.  We didn't see anyone along the By-pass track until we were nearly on the summit.  It was busier on the way down, of course, and good to see lots of people out walking.  This is also a popular track because it is one of the few natural areas where dogs are allowed.

A beautiful sunny day, and not great for photography, especially in the bush.  I couldn't resist trying to capture the spectacularly flowering native clematis scrambling over the trees, though.  This is a small section of the vine that was sprawled all over a dead tree.  Although the flowers stood out very well, it was difficult to photograph them through all the other foliage.

Like many other clematis species, our native grows best where its roots stay cool while the flowers are in full sun.