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Key characteristics

Family: Ranunculaceae
Height: 15 to 20 feet
Width: 6 to 8 feet
Flower color: Fragrant white star-shaped flowers
Foliage color: Deciduous green leaves
Bloom time: August through October
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Prefers moist, well-drained soil
Maintenance: High; rapid growth requires regular pruning to control spread; prune in late winter or early spring
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 9
Wildlife: Attracts bees and other pollinators; provides cover for small wildlife

Vines

Clematis terniflora

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Clematis terniflora, commonly known as sweet autumn clematis, is a vigorous deciduous vine that produces an abundance of small, star-shaped white flowers from late summer into early autumn. The blooms are delicately fragrant, often filling the air with a sweet, pleasing scent. Following the flowering period, the plant develops fluffy seed heads that add an ornamental quality to the vine as the season progresses.

Native to eastern Asia, including regions of Japan and China, Clematis terniflora has been widely cultivated for its ornamental qualities and rapid growth.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Prefers moist, well-drained soil

Bloom time

August through October

Find this plant

Works well in

Arbors & Trellises
Fences & Walls
Vertical Screening
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Columbines · Lungworts · Daylilies · Lavender · Heucheras · Lady's mantle

Design tip

Foliage and form do most of the work here, so lean on texture and repetition rather than one flowering moment. Give it something sturdy to climb and keep the base planted with lower perennials, which shades the roots and hides bare stems.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)