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Clematis virginiana Linnaeus. Subgenus: Clematis. Common name: Virgin's-bower. Phenology: Jul-Sep. Habitat: In a wide variety of moist forests, thickets, and openings. Distribution: Nova Scotia, ON, and MB, south to wc. peninsular FL and TX.

ID notes: Vegetatively, this species can be distinguished from C. viorna and C. crispa (the other common and widespread species in our region) by its leaves with three relatively symmetrical leaflets (vs. leaves with 3-many irregular leaflets).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, F, Fl2, FNA3, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, Mo3, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3; ? Clematis virginiana L. var. virginiana — G. Basionym: Clematis virginiana L. 1755

Links to other floras: = Clematis virginiana - FNA3

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
  • Great Plains: FAC
  • Midwest: FAC
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FAC

Heliophily ⓘ: 6

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image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Clematis virginiana, Chattahoochee National Forest, Union County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Radford, Ahles and Bell | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

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Height: 15ft

plant sale text: I like the other common name I found for this plant: Devil's Darning Needles. Who knew Old Nick knew how to knit? The inch wide flowers are lovely, popping out along the vine in summer, but for me the real show is when the plant goes to seed. The maturing fruits explode into these puffy white frizzballs in late summer. At the base of each needle of frizz is a seed waiting to ride a bit of wind, fur or feather. This species is not to be confused with the invasive Asian clematis (C. terniflora or C. paniculata), a plant that has escaped cultivation and differs from our native vine in that it has rounded leaves as opposed to jagged edged leaves.

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native range: eastern North America



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