The Netleaf Leather Flower is a native vine in the buttercup family that has dainty, purple flowers on long, slender stems. Its leaves are pinnately compound and have three to nine leaflets that are ovate to linear. The leaflets are reticulate … having a distinct network of veins. The bell-shaped flowers, (technically ‘sepals’, due to their lack of petals), are a purplish-pink, and appear in spring and summer. Once the flowers are gone, the seed heads make quite a showing as well. They are globular and fuzzy and are eaten by a variety of songbirds and other small mammals. Netleaf leather flower is native to the southeastern and midwestern United States. It grows naturally in pinelands, woodlands, and sandhills. It will flourish, in the home landscape, in just about any soil with average moisture and part shade. This is a great plant for xeriscaping because once it is established it will thrive completely on its own. It generally grows to about 12 feet in length. Grow on a fence, trellis, or arbor. Or in informal settings, allow to twine around tree or shrub stems. Interesting bell-shaped flowers and whorled white sprays of fruit. Hardiness zones 6-9.
Growing Instructions for the Netleaf Leather Flower
The seeds have a period of dormancy. They can be planted in the fall for spring germination or they can be cold stratified to simulate winter conditions and to break their dormancy at any time of the year. 1. Place the seeds in a plastic bag and seal it. Store the bag in a refrigerator for two months. 2. Fill a pot with potting soil. 3. Sow the seeds on the soil and cover them with a thin layer of soil. 4. Water the container and leave it to drain. 5. Put the pot in a warm, sunny area. 6. Water the pot regularly so that the soil is moist but not wet. 7. The seedlings can be transplanted when they are a few inches tall.