Clematis paniculata, puawhananga or bush clematis is endemic to the North, South, Stewart Islands and Three Kings Islands. It is also naturalised on Chatham Island. It is found in coastal to montane regions in shrubland or tall forest, from sea-level to 1000 m a.s.l. A robust, vigorous high-climbing evergreen woody vine, with main stems woody up to 200 mm diameter at base, branching in upper ½ or less, can ascend to 10-12m or more. It has bark grey-brown, furrowed, branchlets stout, pliant, glabrescent. Leaves are dark green quite toothed leaves are glabrous above, and pale green beneath. The big white scented flowers that occur from July - November serve to distinguish it from all indigenous, naturalised and exotic species in New Zealand, except C. armandii which differs from C. paniculata by its much larger leaves with lanceolate lobed leaflets and smaller white flowers. Male flowers are are larger than the female ones (as shown in photographs). Fluffy white seed head appear from October - January. It prefers to be planted a permanently damp but not sopping soil or in shaded, deep, rich soil, in a situation where it can grow up into the sun. Its root stock should never be allowed to dry out. In humid climates prone to powdery mildew. The first recorded specimens were collected in 1773 by the Forsters when in Queen Charlotte Sound during Captain Cook's second voyage. It was introduced into cultivation in England as early as 1840.