Friday's Flowers ~ Sweet Autumn Clematis

A Vine

A hardy vine this will crawl on the ground , fences and up into the trees. It is a fast grower that with support can make a great screen for the garbage area and when blooming gives off a sweet scent.

Be aware that this is considered invasive and is not a native plant.

For an alternative that is native try Virgin's-bower . It may not be as sweetly fragranced but is attractive the native bees, the Halictid bees in particular.

      

Sweet Fragrance

This beautiful plant blooms in late summer to early fall. Here in the deep south I have seen it bloom twice in the year! 

The scent is described as vanilla and honey so you can imagine why this is a favorite for pollinators. It is also used as a cut flower. 

Botanical Name	Clematis terniflora.
Common Name	Sweet autumn clematis
Plant Type	Perennial flowering vine
Mature Size	15 to 30 feet long
Sun Exposure	Full sun to part shade
Soil Type	Medium moisture, well-drained soil
Soil pH	6.0 to 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Flower Color	Creamy white
Bloom Time	August to September
Hardiness Zones	4 to 9
Native Area	Japan Bees Love it The clouds of creamy white flowers soon begin to buzz as the blooms bring a welcome source of nectar to a nectar dry month. This is the lead into the goldenrod flow. Pruning this vine back will help keep it in check and because it blooms on new growth prune away!!