This was given to me. I thought it was the Autumn Clematis but it is blooming now. I have an Autumn clematis but it is not blooming and will not until Sept or Oct. I am in Zone 6 but was curious if anyone else has this blooming now in the same zone.
Thanks,
Linda
Another pose:
possibly Virginiana.....?
Thanks, Venu209, Virginiana does bloom in Mid summer. Here is the File: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1168/
Linda
I just took a picture of my "mystery clematis", and I can't tell if it's the same one? Mine has no scent, and looks pretty mangy compared to yours. However, it's durn near impossible to kill in an area that receives no consistent irrigation in the desert. It's very very invasive and taking over the side area of our house. Should I care for it and keep it, or let my DH buy a flamethrower?
Thanks for the input!
I agree, it does look similar to C. Virginiana, except that C. Virginiana blooms August to October, like C Terniflora. Here's its entry on Clematis on the Web. http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=557
Unfortunately, I have no other suggestion; I did a search on COTW and there were simply no small white flowered Clematises that bloom right now. A mystery indeed!
Christine
It *does* look like a clematis, though, doesn't it? The drought-hardiness is also a surprise... I'm very new with clematis, but I thought they needed a substantial amount of water. Of course, maybe that's why this looks the way it does...
tusconjill, I was referring to the original post, not yours. Yours is a whole 'nuther thing, because you're in a much more temperate hardiness zone, but logic tells me that if it were C.Terniflora (Sweet Autumn) or C.Virginiana it wouldn't bloom until much, much later in the season, even later than in zone 6. Yours definitely looks like a spent clematis bloom on its way to becoming a seedpod (to me anyway, but I'm not an expert). Yes, dryness isn't a friend to clematises, but the fact that its invasive is quite normal to both C. Terniflora and C. Virginiana. So, I have no concrete answer for you, just more vagueness - sorry! Let's wait for an expert to come along, and I'm sure one will soon.
Christine
Cristine,
Even though you weren't talking about my mystery, your link to COTW may have gotten me my ID. I had a vague memory of someone telling me it might be a "western" something, and when I followed up on that with the search function, it came back with "Western Virgin", which seems to fit my bill (http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=595), except my flowering period is longer. What I'm showing isn't a spent flower, that's as good as it gets. Again, though, it's in a really ghastly (for a clematis) location, and maybe with a little TLC it'll do better.
Thanks for your help!
Jill
Yes, that is a great site.
Virginian variety says it is fragrant. I do not think mine is. I will check it tomorrow.
"Western Virgin" is non fragrant. Can I have it too if I live in the East?
Linda
RDT: what's throwing me off are the huge leaves on your Clematis! Is that the tree's leaves or the actual Clematis leaves in your 1st and 2nd pictures? I'm guessing Clematis recta, but I'm not positive.
Edited to add, if it is Sweet Autumn Clematis....buy a flame thrower immediately!
This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 12:31 AM
It appears the search engine in COTW isn't that reliable. I just looked at a couple of the C.rectas and I agree that's what it could be. I wonder why they didn't turn up when I searched those precise parameters?
My Sweet Autumn nearly didn't come back last year (its second year), and didn't at all this year. I guess to be its true invasive self, one must protect it over the winter and give it lots and lots of sun in the summer. It got neither. I'm moving next year so was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to dig it up (condo rules, one must return garden beds to their original state when leaving). Mixed blessings I guess.
Christine
Yes, that is the true leaves. I have it on my grape arbour with Perle d'Azur. This is the first year of blooming so I am not sure of its habit. Perle has the ovate looking leaves and the Mystery vine has a maple shape.
It does not look like recta when it comes to the leaves. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/67282
There is a slight fragrance to it.
Linda
Christine:
I just ran a search again at C.O.T.W. I kept my search very simple. I only told it to search for white tepals in July. Clematis recta & a lot of others were on the long list. http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemlist.cfm You can make your searches very specific or keep them general to open up the possibility of various varieties.
Be very glad that 'Sweet Autumn Clematis' didn't return on its own! I can't seem to kill all the seedlings that keep popping up all over my garden, year after year! Believe me when I say, I don't baby it (never have), don't water it (except what it gets from Mother Nature), never gave it any winter protection and no full direct sun. It grows (or grew) along the North side of my split rail fence at least 15-20ft. Then it proceeded to climb the 'Sky Rocket' Junipers and my Holly tree. Talk about invasive! It's a THUG! Gardeners BEWARE especially in the warm growing zones!!!
Linda: We just cross posted! I'll run another search now that you say it is somewhat fragrant. That is an important clue. I'll let you know what turns up.
Edited to say, "oops". My search at C.O.T.W. showed up as a broken link. Sorry, I'll keep trying.
This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 1:53 PM
Linda: Here are some other possibilities.
Clematis chinensis http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=120
Clematis trichotoma http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=2821
Clematis flammula http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=172
I love my Sweet Autumn Clematis and so far it hasn't self seeded anywhere and is well behaved here. The leaves of Sweet Autumn Clematis are smooth and rounded. Here are the leaves of Sweet Autumn Clematis.
This message was edited Jul 8, 2007 11:36 PM
I should also note that I've been growing it for five years and have never had it self seed. But I also live in a much dryer and colder zone which could make the difference.
Thanks everyone for your efforts. The maple looking leaves on my clematis, how would you described them? that might narrow the field.
Linda
