It’s nice to know that there is one clematis that comes into full bloom in late summer. Spring or early summer are when you see most clematis in flower, so to have one blooming now is pretty sweet!
Which brings us to this week’s perennial which is the Sweet Autumn Clematis. Its name is really descriptive of what to expect – it has a sweet fragrance, and it blooms in August into September. With many of the summer annuals and perennials beginning to fade, this late summer flowering perennial is a welcome sight.
Its botanical name is usually labeled as Clematis paniculata, but it is also sold as Clematis terniflora. We have seen quite a few of this clematis – growing on structures like lamp posts and fences, and it is such an attractive plant.
Its leaves are a medium green and a bit larger than most clematis, which gives the plant a pleasing appearance through the summer before it blooms in late summer.
Source: Missouri Botanical Gardens
It is a deciduous (it can be semi-evergreen in its warmer hardiness zones) vigorous vine that has a bushy habit, and reaches around 25 feet in just one season, so it would need some larger structure like a wall, fence, or arbor to grow on. The Sweet Autumn is considered to be a bit higher in maintenance because it self-seeds quite easily. Homeowners may find themselves with many new seedlings popping up, and the need to pull them out to keep things under control.
The Sweet Autumn, in this photo, is growing along a fence, but the tree branch above was so low that the vine started growing right up into the tree – probably a good example of how vigorously it grows.
Sources say that to help control its size, it can be cut back to about 12” in early spring or after blooming in the fall, with the remaining vines removed from the structure it is growing on. Since its flowers are produced on the new growth, it will still produce its blooms in late summer, if cut back in the early spring.
It is covered with tons of tiny (about 1” across) star-like white flowers that produce a sweet scent. While the Sweet Autumn clematis is so pretty in the landscape, all those flowers will attract bees, so it would be wise to enjoy it from a distance!
Source: Bluestone Perennials
Sweet Autumn clematis is hardy from zones 5 to 9 (some sources say zones 3 to 9), requires full sun to partial shade, and moist, well-drained soil of the average variety. It is also deer resistant.
