Sweet Autumn Clematis is magnificent fall blooming vine. It begins to shine when most of my perennials are worn out from their long struggle in the Texas heat over the summer.
History
This clematis is also known as Clematis Terniflora or Sweet Autumn Virginsbower.
Native to Asia, this vine was first introduced into the United States in the mid 1800’s.
Characteristics
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Once Sweet Autumn Clematis becomes established, it can reach up to 30 feet in one single growing season.
Therefore, when you provide it with a sturdy trellis, arbor, or fence, it is an excellent climbing/draping vine.
This climber will quickly soften any hardscape (stone wall, fencing, etc) you want to accent.
Not to mention, it will also hide any eye sore you want to minimize in your landscaping (air conditioners, power boxes, unattractive utility structures, etc.)
Care
Sweet Autumn clematis loves full sun but will also perform in some shade. It happily grows in zones 4-9.
In general, all varieties of clematis like to be planted deeply 3 to 4 inches in the ground. So, plant it slightly deeper than the pot it comes in.
Clematis prefer slightly alkaline soils, and are heavy feeders. During the growing season they will thrive on a low nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10).
The base of a clematis are woody stems and are “naked”. This means there are no green leaves or blooms at the bottom of this perennial.
So, I surround my Sweet autumn clematis with shrubs to conceal the nakedness at the base.
Uniqueness
The unique creamy white star shaped flowers of Sweet Autumn Clematis are unlike any other variety of clematis.
These blooms smell heavenly, and provide a magnificent statement in the garden in late August through September and October.
Some people complain that it is invasive because of its ability to get so big so fast. It will climb on anthing (including other plants) that it finds.
It loves to climb on the other shrubs I have planted around it.
But, every few months during the growing season when I am out doing my gardening chores, I just pull the vine off my shrubs and put it back where it is supposed to grow.
In addition, because it blooms on the current season’s growth, you can easily prune this vine back hard in late fall after it blooms to keep it in check.
I use mine to soften the stone wall next to our garage. I also gave our lion some hair.
Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies love this vine. Deer do not. So, YAY for that!
If you are looking for a stunning perennial to spruce up your fall gardens, give Sweet Autumn Clematis a try.
This post does contain affiliate links. This means if you click on certain links and purchase a product I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you do make a purchase through my links, thank you so much for supporting my website.
Fall is a great time to plant. Below are some links to other plants I have in my landscaping.
Did you see my plant pick last month? Check out the Whale’s Tongue Agave.
Wondering what to do in your gardens in the fall? This blog post is for you.
