Virginia ecotype
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Twining vine, naturalizing, climbing
Size: Typically 10 to 20 feet long (climbing); can spread 6 to 10 feet wide
Flowering Time: July to September
Bloom Color: White (with creamy overtones)
Habitat: Streambanks, thickets, woodland edges, moist meadows, and roadsides
Moisture: Average to moist; prefers well-drained to seasonally damp soils
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soils: Loamy, sandy, or silty soils; tolerates clay with good moisture
Uses: Arbors, fences, trellises, naturalized edges, pollinator gardens, erosion control along streams
NOTE: We give these vigorous vining plants regular haircuts to keep them untangled.
Clematis virginiana (Virgin's Bower)
Virgin's Bower is graceful native vine with profuse clusters of small, white, star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer. Flowers give way to fluffy seed heads in the fall which persist for a long time into the winter season.
Clematis virginiana's trifoliate leaves and twining growth allow it to climb fences, trellises, arbors, understory trees or nearby shrubs, forming an airy screen that offers beauty and wildlife value without smothering and harming other plants. It often occurs in shaded moist areas, but is highly adaptable.
This native clematis is a host plant for several moth species, and provides nectar for native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its vigorous nature makes it a great native alternative to non-native ornamental vines, especially in ecological restoration, woodland gardens, and wildlife habitat gardens.
This species is not to be confused with the highly invasive cousin, the non-native Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora), which has no teeth or wrinkles on its leaves, and is extremely aggressive in its spread.