Hi, From what I recall of mine, it does look like that, not sure till it starts growing again this year, sorry I'm not much help, if it is this is a VERY aggressive grower:)Anita

Did a little more research on the possible impersonators of C. terniflora and came up with a little more information. Clematis on the Web says the flowers of vitalba has no fragrance whereas the Toomey and Leeds Encyclopedia of Clematis says it has a slight fragrance. Also, the Toomey and Leeds book says that C. virginiana plants have either male or female flowers and that if you only have one plant, you will never have any viable seeds. Perhaps some people who have adequate growing seasons and still don't have viable seeds on their C. terniflora plants actually have C. virginiana?

Kimcoco, what are the names of the clematis that you have already planted? If they are type IIIs, they get pruned every year sometime during the winter (I do most of my type III cut backs in December-mine are already done for this coming year). Type IIs typically should be cut back the first if not the second year they are in the ground just so that they can get a good root system established. As for fertilizing, normally you do it initially in the early spring once the buds start swelling. How frequently you do it and with what is really up to you. Some people use compost and/or compost tea, alfalfa pellets, grass clippings, tomato and/or rose food, purchased organic or synthetic granular time released fertilizers, soluble fertilizers such as Miracle Grow, etc. As you can see, there is a wide assortment of fertilizers you can use for clematis and if you ask 10 different people what they might use, you could get 10 different answers. As to how frequently to do it is going to depend on which fertilizers you use, how fertile your soil naturally is, and why you might want to fertilize them. I will typically cut my type IIIs and type IIs back by anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 after their initial bloom period to get another flush later in the season. When I cut them back, I refertilize them with whatever I am using or have on hand. Organic fertilizers tend to be slower release so you don't have to worry as much about over fertilizing when you do fertilize them using this type of fertilizer than if you used a synthetic/dissolvable type of fertilizer which is more immediately available to the plants. Some people go way overboard with fertilization of clematis as far as I am concerned and you have to judge how the plants are performing or aren't to determine how much you need. Needlessly dumping tons of fertilizers on any plant just for the sake of fertilizing is not fruitful and can lead to a lot of green vegetative growth with few blooms. As far as fertilizing when plants are blooming or coming into bud, it can be done provided you use a slower organic type of fertilizer. I have often forgotten, gotten sidetracked, or ignored fertilizing my clematis in early spring only to remember to do so when the plants were budded up or blooming and done so with compost, compost tea, mushroom compost, alfalfa pellets or some other organic fertilizer and not had it affect the bloom cycle. Hope that helps some!

That is a fabby pic! I imagine that clematis has a few years on it- like 5? Mine sweet autmn is in it's third year and it is already budding leaves at the TOP of my porch. Yes I opted not to cut it as I need the height now. You swear those skiny vines are dead- until the leaves pop out! I'm not bad mouthin' sweet autmn is it a fine choice- but not your only choice. jlink, You may also want to consider clematis tangutica which grows like a son of a gun and has yellow penant blooms and the cutest seed whorls after. If you want more leaves and a more solid than whispy look also consider the variagated porcelain berry vine. 'ampelopsis elegans' It is in the grape family and does get some teeth marks from jap. beetles. It is not invasive like the plain green. In fact mine isn't invasive at all! It will also get height in a hurry esp. after it's second year. Karen