Fragrant clematis is a deciduous climbing vine with strongly scented white flowers in summer, often grown over fences, trellises or as ground cover. It needs support to climb on and does best with its roots kept cool and shaded.
Family
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Grows as
Shrub, Climber
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly in dry spells, keeping the root zone moist but not waterlogged.
Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; protect young plants from frost. Ideal growing range roughly -15 to 30 °C.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain protoanemonin and related compounds that irritate the skin and mouth and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Medit. to Pakistan
Climate
temperate
About
Clematis flammula, the fragrant virgin's bower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. This deciduous climbing plant is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, but it is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant in gardens. It bears fragrant white flowers and small green achenes. When the flowers are newly opened they have a strong sweet almond fragrance. Clematis × aromatica, the scented clematis, is the result of a cross with Clematis integrifolia.
Clematis flammula grows in a tangled mass that is heavily sprinkled with flowers throughout the warmer months. It is popular with gardeners as a decoration along fences and trellises, or as ground cover. If it has no other plants or structures to climb on, it will climb on itself, forming a large, densely tangled bush. The plant sends out many shoots and can reach over five metres in height.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Clematis flammula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.