PLANT PROFILE

Clematis virginiana
sweet autumn clematis



Clematis virginiana
Clematis virginiana

Photo courtesy WikiCommons
Britton & Brown
Botanical name: Clematis virginiana
Common name: sweet autumn clematis
Group: dicot
Family: Ranunculaceae
Growth type: vine
Duration: perennial
Origin: introduced; INVASIVE
Plant height: 10 - 20'
Foliage: leaves are jagged (toothed)
Flower: white, 1" across
Flowering time: July to September
Habitat: edges of woods and streams, thickets
Range in New Jersey: throughout most of the state
Heritage ranking, if any: n/a
Distribution: Clematis virginiana
Misc. Often confused with the Japanese garden escape Clematis terniflora, which is invasive.

The two are distinguished by their leaves; virgin's bower has leaves with jagged teeth while the invasive, Clematis terniflora, or sweet autumn clematis, has rounded leaves, primarily untoothed.