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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sweet autumn clematis

You can tell fall is on the way. Leaves are starting to fall. It's getting dark earlier. And Clematis terniflora, otherwise known as sweet autumn clematis, has begun to sprout. This rambunctious clematis is sure to spark a discussion among gardeners, who seem to be of two minds. Yes, this is a beautiful, starry-blossomed vine that literally pops up when many other things in the garden are winding down or flat-out dead. But wow. It emerges not inch by inch but like a fountain, spewing itself all over the ground, trees and fences. Here, you can see what it does to a spirea bush. It's wrapping its long, skinny arms around the spirea and, without intervention, will squeeze till it can't squeeze no more.

We're told to prune in fall or early spring. Heck, I just pull this stuff out whenever I feel like it. Hasn't slowed it up one bit. As I do that, I notice that it smells nice and has a free-falling, snowflake-like look that's kinda nice. But I can't help wondering. Is this clematis in my garden the new trumpet vine? 
Posted by Virginia Smith @ 2:29 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Virginia A. Smith
Ginny Smith, a Philadelphia native, worked as a reporter at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Ohio – with six short months at the end of the Bulletin tossed in – before returning to Philadelphia in 1985 to join the Inquirer. Her favorite beats here have included Center City, roving around Pennsylvania (and getting paid for it!) and alternative medicine. She’s also been City Editor and Pennsylvania Editor. Ginny has been happily writing – and learning - about gardening fulltime since 2006. She’s won two silver medals of achievement from the national Garden Writers Association and in 2011, Bartram’s Garden honored her with its Green Exemplar award for her stories about “the region’s deeply rooted horticultural history, cultural attractions and bountiful gardens.”
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