The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Each note about the bugs, buds, and birds around us is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns of nature that are quietly unwinding around us. |
I have a big healthy honeysuckle bush on a trellis in my front yard. Each year it blooms profusely. It gets visited by hummingbirds and various others. As September rolls around, a transformation takes place in the bush. It turns into a white mass of clematis terniflora. This picture is from Monday this week.
Come below the orange vine to see two more closer views of this changing scene.
I didn't notice the clematis vine for two years after I planted the honeysuckle. The last three years it has been dramatic. Perhaps I should trim it back some so the two plants can peacefully co-exist. What do you think?
The flowers are about 1" across. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden...
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Unlike almost all other species of clematis, this plant will thrive and bloom well in considerable shade. Blooms on new growth. Prune hard in fall after flowering or in early spring.
It is regarded as an invasive in some areas, especially the southeast. See this link.
Good on trellises, arbors, posts, fences. Can also be allowed to sprawl along the ground as a dense ground cover to hide old tree stumps or other eyesores. Can also be grown through large shrubs, but growth must be monitored to insure that the shrub is not overwhelmed.
What is going on in your backyard? Do you have any of this clematis? Or, is there some other plant or animal you would like to tell about? The floor is open.