Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sweet Autumn Clematis in bloom

A while back (a year, two years?) I was given some seeds for Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis ternifolia).  I don't really remember what I did with them, but my guess is that I must have either planted a couple or scattered them somewhere around here:

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Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis ternifolia)
I didn't really realize until a couple of days ago that I had a new Clematis growing on our front porch ironwork.  When the buds formed I realized this was not one of our normal Clematis, which bloom in the early summer and have large purple blooms.  This was something different with small white blooms.  Then they started opening and I thought that it looked very familiar.  I still had the name "Sweet Autumn Clematis" in my head, and when I looked it up, it was a perfect match.

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Clematis ternifolia bloom closeup
It struck me the other day that the "sweet" part of the name probably meant something, too, so I pulled some of the blooms down to nose level and gave them a sniff.  I was surprised to smell something kind of nutmeg-like to me.  I had Christie smell them and she thought they smelled like Root Beer.  Now that there are more flowers in bloom the smell is quite clear on our front porch, without sticking your nose into them.  It's fun to have this early Autumn bloomer to complement our other Clematis which finished blooming a couple months back already.

2 comments:

  1. It is beautiful! I wonder if this is the same plant that came up in my front bed and beginning to bloom on the trellis? I will have to see if I smell nutmeg or root beer. Maybe mine will smell like cotton candy. :)

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  2. This vine grows wild in La.Makes a white blanket on fences and trees in late Aug.or
    early Sept.regardleess of weather condition.
    Your pictures are beautiful

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