I have always wanted Sweet Autumn Clematis, but do not have a place to grow it where I could keep it under control. This looks like it could be well-behaved where it is at. I think this is so pretty and I bet it smells wonderful!

Don't hold your breath Vickie, I thought the same thing and it seemed to work for about a decade, since then (last several years) it has been attempting to take over. It's a never ending spring, summer, and fall chore to try to limit it's territorial spread. The last few years it's been ascending a tree, that is admittedly, pretty neat. It's gone up 20 to 30 feet. It does smell well and attracts bees (esp. honey bees) by the droves.
Your's looks impressive Jennifer.

When I have vines that get out of hand like that I give them a very severe pruning. Like down to 18" or so...

It's a prolific self seeder.

I never see this plant in my area. I wonder how it does in climates that tend to be arid and hot? Sure looks nice in the photo.

Um, this was my old house. I planted four tiny twigs of it just TWO years before this photo was taken!!!! Yes it is gorgeous. And even after the petals drop I think it looks cool. But I did not willingly take any with me when I moved. Yet here I am TWO houses later and I still have this popping up from plants that made both moves!!! This year I actually let one vine grow and bloom for two days. Then I promptly chopped it out. I'm sure I will still get more every year. At least I know what it is and I don't find it too hard to stay on top of it.

Oh my! I had heard it was invasive, but I had no idea of the extent of it's reach

It can grow 20 - 30' a year, When we had a chain link fence, it covered it all which equaled the north and east extent of property. It almost always blooms Sept 1st and inevitably was a show-stopper. Once I had red Cypress Vines grow up through it, that was quite cool - small red blooms in a sea of white. Once did it w/ Gloriosas also, pretty cool.

The seed pods in the fall go through an interesting evolution to become airborne dispersers. Starts as 4 to 8 cogged aggregates that then grows 'feathers' on each wing before breaking the aggregate and becoming airborne.

Aggregate formation -


Feathers starting to form -


Feathers fluffing out nicely -


Full fluff -


Cypress Vine poking through. (2008)

That's an awesome transformation, jmorth. And I really like that cypress vine with the SAC. 20-20 feet a year, wow!

Great pics and I hope they are in the database... (hint)

Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora)

There's quite a few there.