I am a great fan of the Clematis. In England it was commonplace in my garden often climbing up fruit trees as it is a vigorous climber with the most of attractive flowers. There are many varieties from the shrubby to the herbaceous perennial. Some Clematis vines can grow as long as 100 feet. However there is more than meets the eye to this beautiful climber.They grow happily in temperate regions and also in mountains in the tropics. They do well on limestone and other basic soils and in the warmer climates some species are actually evergreen. Although known as Clematis in English it is also known as Traveller's Joy, Old Man's Beard, Leather Flower, Vase Vine or Virgin's Bower.
In America the Clematis was called the Pepper Vine by early pioneers travelling west and used it as a pepper substitute to spice up food. Black pepper was expensive and rare during that time. From the Clematis the essential oils irritate the skin and can cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested in large amounts. From this the plants could be described as toxic. But the Native Americans used small amounts of clematis as treatment for migraine headaches, other nervous disorders and for the treatment of skin infections.
The root of the Clematis is used China to treat the pains and stiffness from rheumatism. The treatment is also used for arthritic aches, spasms, swelling, numbness, lower back spasms and joint pains caused from damp conditions. It also gives relief to many suffering from restricted mobilitySumming up the benefits of Clematis are wide ranging. It acts a pain reliever, including headaches, varicose veins, syphilis, gout, rheumatism, bone disorders and chronic skin condition and also works as a diuretic. Added to this it is an anti-rheumatic, analgesic, anti-diuretic and antibacterial, with the root of the Clematis also known to reduce blood sugar.
With all these medical benefits attributed to this amazingly pretty herb found in many domestic gardens it is perhaps underrated as a herb.
