Virgin's Bower

Climbing Vine

My love of vining plants led me to add Virgin's Bower to my landscape.  The entry in a book referred to it as the plant to use to engulf a shed.  How could such a delicate plant have earned such a reputation? Clematis virginiana has lived up to that reputation and more.  Like many perennials, the first year saw little growth.  The second year it began showing its true colors.  By this spring it has turned into a billowing mass of foliage and flowers.  Unfortunately, the new trellis we built for it went up a bit late.  Still, it managed to climb to the top and beyond.  It also spread above and below ground to nearly fill the bed.  It does make a lovely ground cover, scrambling through everything and and putting out hundreds of small white flowers.  The blooming season has been quite long, starting in July and going into September.  The female flowers are followed by typical clematis seed heads, fluffy clusters that account for the other common name "Old Man's Beard".  I'm not sure where "Devil's Darning Needle" comes from, a name applied to a couple unrelated plants.  By all accounts, the flowers are supposed to be fragrant, but I can't detect a scent on mine.  As a late blooming clematis, it can be cut back hard early in the spring to promote new growth and to keep it in bounds.  I plan to dig up many of the clones that have sprouted throughout the bed.  We'll see if I can find homes for any of them.

Ground Cover