Clematis virginiana, commonly known as Virgin’s Bower, is a deciduous vine native to a variety of habitats in North America, including forest edges, moist slopes, fence rows, thickets, and streambanks. Its native range extends from Newfoundland to southern Manitoba and down to the Gulf of Mexico. This species typically climbs with the aid of tendrils, reaching lengths of up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) and often draping over shrubs and fences. It produces clusters of small, white, fragrant flowers from late summer to early autumn, which are followed by decorative, plume-like seed heads that persist into winter.

Virgin’s Bower is valued for its ability to cover unsightly structures, its fragrant and showy flowers, and its adaptability to a wide range of soil conditions, from sandy to clay, and from dry to moist. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8 and is available from many native plant nurseries as well as some specialty and large conventional nurseries. This vine is a larval host for the clematis clearwing moth, adding ecological value to the garden. In cultivation, it thrives in full sun to part shade and prefers soils with medium drainage. While it has a deep but sparse, fibrous root system that can make transplanting difficult, careful handling can mitigate this issue.CC BY-SA 4.0