Considered by some gardeners as a pesky, invasive vine, the sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora) is enjoyed by many gardeners as an easy to grow part of their landscape.
Growing Sweet Clematis Vine
Sweet Clematis is hardy in zones 4b-10 and tolerates difficult areas of the garden. The vine blooms nicely even in part shade and tolerate mild drought conditions. Each white flower is individually very tiny but together they form a white blanket of highly fragrant flowers to brighten a late summer/fall garden.
Clematis will bloom on the new yearly growth so gardeners can prune the plant back in winter or very early spring. Sweet Clematis will grow easily from seed or through cuttings shared by gardening friends.
Using Sweet Clematis in the Garden
The sweet clematis, or autumn clematis, is a large vining plant that can grow 15 to 30 feet tall or long. The clematis will vine easily over a large fence or trellis. Autumn clematis can also be grown as a ground cover to prevent erosion in areas with poor soil, or to cover landscape eyesores. The fragrant vine needs support to climb on and it will create a flowing mass of white in the fall landscape.
Use autumn clematis to add vertical accent to a fragrance garden. Or use it to increase the beauty of a garden during a time when other plants are beginning fade in the heat of summer.
Sweet autumn clematis is a great choice from growing over a garden arbor in order to create a nice shady retreat. It will also ramble over a fence to create a privacy screen between two houses. Another creative use of the vining foliage is as a cut greenery for indoor flower arrangements.
How to Maintain Autumn Clematis
Sweet Autumn clematis can be invasive when conditions are favorable so hard pruning each year may be necessary. Many gardeners find themselves digging up volunteer seedlings each year. Some have no trouble at all but gardeners who plant these vines should be prepared in case they need to dig some out of the lawn or nearby planters.
These fragrant vines do not usually have major pests or disease to contend with in the garden. Sometimes bugs are attracted to the foliage and will damage the leaves as they eat them. The vines often die back, often to the ground, during a hard freeze but will come back in the spring and grow quickly. They don't need special fertilizer but will do well with a good layer of mulch where possible.
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