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Cottage Gardens

Sweet Autumn Clematis

14 years ago

Ok all you zone 6-8 people, have you ever grown it? Is it invasive as they claim? I have a new trellis and need to cover it. It's 14' tall with a possibility of extending it another 12'. It's on the chimney so there's lots of support.

Any other suggestions? I really like that chocolate clematis vine in the other thread too. Looks like it can fill some space.

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Comments (7)

spazzycat_1
14 years ago
I grow it. I wouldn't call it invasive as it can easily be trimmed and trained, but it is an aggressive seeder....not enough for it to be a real nuisance for me, but others here have complained about it. I have a higher nuisance threshold, perhaps. It is on the deer's dinner menu, if that makes a difference to you. I grow it up a homemade bird feeder structure that's probably around 10' tall.
token28001
Original Author
14 years ago
No deer here. Only a chipmunk that has decided to take up residence under some stones that line my perennial path. No rabbits either, thankfully.
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I have been searching the web trying to identify a wild clematis in my yard and came across this thread. A thread that has been going for eight years. Tonight I have learned that there are several similar species and some are known by several names. Clematis terniflora has at least two synonyms:Clematis maximowicziana and Clematis paniculata. And at least three common names: Sweet Autumn Clematis, Sweet Autumn Virgin's Bower, Japanese Clematis. It is a native of Japan and in some areas is an invasive weed. In other areas it is loved like most on this thread love it. There several similar species called Sweet Autumn and virgin's bower. But, vary in number of leaflets water and light requirements. Some have no odor, some have complete flowers and some male and female flowers are on different plants. In western US the native Clematis ligusticifolia is very similar. Same rambunctious growth habit and similar scent. There are at least three cultivors of this species. One of them is naturalized here in Missouri. I am now searching to determine which I have.
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It won't grow up the chimney without help :-) Clematis are true viners and need something small/narrow that they can wind around to help support themselves, so unless you have netting or a trellis in place, you don't need to worry about it climbing higher than you can reach. I grew SAC for years in my old garden but cut it back each winter to a manageable size.......just to the top of an old iron screen that was its major support. During the growing season it would expand exponentially, consuming a lot of fence, a large deciduous shrub and climbing into a nearby apple tree. Once cut back, it was quite simple to remove the excess vinage. btw, the vine is incorrectly identified as Clematis paniculata in the above link. SAC is correctly Clematis terniflora. C. paniculata is a very tender (not winter hardy) species that is seldom seen outside of its native NZ - C. terniflora is Asian in origin. I have a tendency to be very skeptical of information provided by any website that cannot correctly identify the plant it is referring to...........
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Sweet Autumn, not as spectacular a photo this season. I found a New way to use my pesky Maple tree this season. My Huldine(spelling) clematis is blooming now. I know it's a late bloomer but it was added this spring, not sure if this is too late for it. SA dies back to the ground here, I do find a new seedling every year but I do remove them, I have three of these in my garden and they do smell good. SherrySherry
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I just bought my second one yesterday. I needed a replacement for another vine that did not return :( My current one will be in its 3rd year. So we will see how big she gets this fall. I grow it up/along my fence. It is lovely! This new second one will be grown up a trellis on my shed. I will need to add something along the roof line for it to grab on to as the trellis will just not be enough. They can get huge, just not sure how big up here in the north. In the south they grow and reseed like crazy. The best time to cut back is in the spring when you see new growth at the base. If you google it, you can get an idea of how enormous they can get. If you don’t have a fence, or anywhere to plant it, perhaps you could purchase an Arbor (not white) for it to grow up and over? What site that would be.... last fall
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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
14 years ago
Tom I had it my garden for awhile, it has a haunting hawthorn like scent. I gave mine to my neighbor and planted C. tangutica in it's place, you know, the one with the lovely silver seed heads. Where I didn't find the sweet autumn to be overly aggressive here, but then, we do have cooler summer weather than some/most and I hear it blooms better in warmer climes so it might also grow more vigorously. It's another story with tangutica. I left it two years without cutting it back, it was magnificent with loads of yellow lantern shaped flowers and silver seed heads on at the same time, this one blooms all summer here. The next spring I kid you not when I cut it back...two truckloads to the landfill. Lesson learned each spring it will get wacked to the ground.
A lot of the montanas are scented my wilsonii (Chocolate scented) some of the pinks like rubens and Elizabeth smell like vanilla. The montanas are blooming here now, the sweet autumn is much later, neither are repeat bloomers, O.K. the montanas do throw the odd flower later in the season but nothing to write home about.

Annette
blueberryhills
14 years ago
I have it in one of my butterfly gardens - It was one of the first things I put out, before I knew I needed to prepare beds and amend soil. A friend gave me a piece of hers and I just plopped it into the ground and it has been very happy. I would call it vigorous, but not invasive. Seems like I remember that it didn't bloom last fall, but I can't remember if it was because of an early frost, or if I just missed it.
I really want a swing under an arbor and I'll use it to climb the arbor. I think it would easily cover a 14' trellis. Sounds exciting!!
little_dani
14 years ago
I have the Sweet Autumn, and I love it. It is not very aggressive, but it does fill the space alloted for it, and it blooms, and blooms, and blooms. Mine has never reseeded, I cut it to the ground, (to about 6") in the early spring.

Janie
laura_in_cinti
14 years ago
I've had two, one at the old house and one at the current house. I love them. I would describe them as aggressive but not invasive but I wanted something aggressive enough to be able to climb and cover a 14' pergola. I got just what I wanted with Sweet Autumn. Every year I cut it to about 12" max. It blooms in late August here in SW Ohio and I have not found it to reseed at all.
gldno1
14 years ago
I have never had mine reseed ever. It will cover the arbor easily. I have mine on a 20 foot or so fence and it covers it. Just good healthy green leaves until it blooms and then I love how it looks and smells.

It is vigorous enough that it flops forward and down over some plants in the flower bed....right now I need to clip it off the clematis that is next to it....not good planning on my part.

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