Must be a "your zone will vary" thing. Here in Zone 5 we have no problem with it. We grow ours over a pergola to add to the shade. Other clematis will not grow fast enough to do that. The flowers all face up, though. But my daughter, whose room is over the pergola, has the view in the daytime and the scent at night (which she likes). We donÂt find the scent heavy: not like oriental lilies, for example. But the reactions to scents are so individual. Twice now it has been killed by rabbits gnawing the bark over the winter, and both times we went right out and bought another one. But itÂs not easy to find around here, and expensive too. Maybe you who want to get rid of it should put out little bunny placements and table settings to invite them to dineÂI wonder if thereÂs rabbit attractant you could spray on it, LOL.

You are growing SAC in a container? Can you describe the size of the container and how it is planted and what kind of care it gets? FWIW, this is not a clematis I'd pick for growing in a container :-) Is there a reason you can't plant in the ground?

I Googled, and blister beetle it is! Thanks very much! And I agree with tamlask - I spend way too much time tearing all the sweet autumn clematis out - it's worse, or as bad, as kudzu. So for all that trouble, at least I should be able to enjoy its one redeeming quality while it's blooming and fragrant. But no! Those darn blister beetles come along and have a feast. Trouble is, I always forget about this particular problem until too late. Next summer, though...Better watch out! I learned they are also particularly nasty little buggers that excrete a very bad substance. Thanks again for the help. Pat

You know I'm wondering... I clip my SAC back to about 6 inches in spring. It grows a good 30 feet at least through my hedge, but... It only seems to bloom on the sides and not the top of the hedge. I wonder if I do let it grow out next spring if it will bloom higher up too. It does get full sun up top of the hedge all day long and mostly sun on the sides of the hedge where it grows. Experiment time maybe? lol