By Olivia Santamaria
Clematis virginiana, known by multiple common names including woodbine, old man’s beard, and Virginia virgin’s bower, is a charming vine that is highly overlooked and underused in the landscape despite its many attractive qualities as a native, ornamental plant. It is a host to the clematis clearwing moth (Alcathoe caudata), attracts pollinators, and provides shelter for small songbirds and other insects due to its dense foliage. It is low maintenance despite its vigorous growth habit, and more pest and disease resistant than other larger flowered clematis, it is an outstanding performer in the garden that deserves more admiration.
Native to central and eastern U.S., Clematis virginiana is the most prevalent clematis in New England and hardy from zone 3 to 8. It is adorned with clusters of tiny white flowers that fill the air with fragrance from July to September, nearly covering the entirety of the attractive, trifoliate leaves underneath. Being a dioecious plant, male and female plants are needed to bear the whimsical seed heads that give it the common name of old man’s beard. Starting as curly green balls, they fade to fuzzy light brown puffs, extending their seasonal interest through the fall. As a twining vine, it will need a structure for its petioles to wrap around in order to climb, or can be left on the ground to form an effective groundcover. Growing 12-20 ft tall, it is an exceptional pick for screening and completely covering structures.
Clematis virginiana prefers morning sun and afternoon shade to maintain a cool root zone but will certainly be happy in full sun. It flowers abundantly from sun to part shade, but can even grow in heavy shade with reduced flowering. It does well in a wide range of soil conditions and is able to tolerate dry areas despite its preference for rich moist soil, making it a great plant for trickier areas such as dry shade or consistently wet sites. Since it blooms on new wood, it can be pruned any time of the year to shape and control growth, while a trim in late winter/early spring is recommended to keep a uniformly bushy habit and flowers at viewing level. Prune to 8-12 inches or nearly to the ground to keep it shorter, as it will also shoot out new growth from the crown.
It is important not to confuse Clematis virginiana with its lookalike of the more frequently planted sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora), commonly mislabeled as C. paniculata), which is native to northeastern Asia. Unfortunately, sweet autumn clematis is highly prevalent in the nursery trade, even with its listing as invasive in several states along the east coast as far north as New Jersey. The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to compare the leaves. Sweet autumn clematis bears thicker, rounded edge leaves, which can have a thin band of silvery coloration along the center vein, as opposed to the less leathery serrated leaves of Clematis virginiana. Sweet autumn clematis is also monoecious, unlike old man’s beard. Clematis virginiana is the perfect alternative for those looking to replace their problematic Clematis terniflora, as the flowers are virtually identical in shape and size, and they share the same tall and abundant growth habit.
With all these positive attributes, it is astonishing that Clematis virginiana is not more popular among all kinds of gardeners. Luckily, it is becoming more commercially available through wholesalers and garden centers. Seed is also available from several suppliers. With its profuse growth habit, benefit to wildlife, hardiness, and all-around versatility, it is only a matter of time before Clematis virginiana becomes a staple in gardens.
Olivia Santamaria is a Massachusetts state-certified horticulturist with a bachelor’s degree in Horticultural Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has over 5 years of experience as a fine gardener with a focus on sustainable practices. Currently a horticulturist at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, she applies her years of hands-on experience to the institution’s formal gardens. She oversees several gardens, blending formal design with native plantings to prove that an ecological focus can be both beautiful and beneficial.