It will never be much of a climber here in zone 4 because it dies back to almost the ground each winter. It also isn't terribly healthy if you don't spray. I keep threatening to get rid of it every spring when I have to prune it down to a couple of inches of live cane, and at the end of the summer when its leaves are blackspot-ridden. But the deep purple color is amazing, so it is still in my garden. I have moved it a couple of times, hoping a new site will encourage better health, but it just doesn't amount to much. I do so love the intensity of the purple blooms, which in my soil are so dark they approach black-purple. (I have seen it grown elsewhere and the blooms were reddish-purple). I'm hoping 2010 will be its redeeming season because I've already given it 5 years....(yes, I am a 'softie' who hates to shovel-prune). Celeste

Much as I am amused by the variety of butteflies staying up past their bedtime I must say there are far larger numbers of predators that come out at night and are drawn to the light in search of food...green anoles, geckos and all kinds of cinch and assassin bugs. I found wings from a Giant Swallowtail about ten feet from where this light is braced. Although it's been several days I am assuming they were from the same butterfly as I've not noticed any other GSTs flying around the front walkway. ~ Cat ps...I also saw a brown Long Tailed Skipper around 5:00 am on Saturday. That's another crazy butterfly I can add to the wanna be moth club.

Wow amazing, saved the site to faves, thanks for posting it.

Thank you, catspa. Agree about it not being owl's clover. Looked at photos of Trifolium variegatum var. major, but I still think the photo I posted is rose clover, as it's petals seem mostly mono-colored pink, versus the multi-colored petal of Trifolium variegatum var. major, which also has very dark pink to purple color on the petal base, which my photo clearly doesn't. I'm identifying the photo strictly on the petal colors and shape, esp. since the photo is so blurry as to make it impossible to see details such as the sepals and involucre. Check out the photos at http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?rel-taxon=begins+with&where-taxon=Trifolium+variegatum+var.+major and let me know if you agree my photo is more like http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?rel-taxon=begins+with&where-taxon=Trifolium+hirtum