Virginia Clematis (Clematis virginiana), proposed by Akène
🌿 A graceful and floriferous native vine 🌿
Virginia clematis is a native perennial vine that can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) tall . It is distinguished by its numerous, fragrant, star-shaped white flowers that bloom from July to September and attract a wide variety of pollinators , including bees and butterflies . After flowering, its decorative feathery achenes persist into the fall, adding an ornamental touch and providing food for some seed-eating birds .
🌱 Perfect for fences, trellises or even trees and shrubs , it clings naturally by wrapping its stems and petioles around surrounding structures. It prefers moist and rich soils , tolerating lightly shaded and clayey environments well. Once established, it reseeds easily and can become vigorous , sometimes requiring pruning in the spring to control its expansion.
Characteristics of the variety
📅 Flowering : July to September
📏 Height : Up to 600 cm
🌱 Spacing : 120 cm
☀️ Exposure : Sun, partial shade
🌿 Life cycle : Perennial
🌾 Soil type : Loamy to clayey, well drained
💧 Soil moisture content : Medium to moist
🦌 Deer Resistance : High
📦 Seeds per packet : 100
Sowing and cultivation
📏 Sowing depth : 5 mm
🌡 Germination time : 15 to 20 days
❄️ Cold stratification : 75 days
⚡ Scarification : Not required
🔹 Indoor method (recommended for optimal germination) :
1️⃣ Mix the seeds with a moist substrate ( sand, vermiculite or perlite ) and place them in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for 75 days .
2️⃣ After stratification, sow the seeds 5 mm deep in well-drained, moist potting soil.
3️⃣ Maintain constant humidity until germination (15 to 20 days).
4️⃣ Transplant the young plants once they have reached several centimeters in height and there is no longer any risk of frost.
🔹 Outdoor method :
🌿 Sow directly in the fall to allow natural stratification during the winter.
💧 Keep soil moist until seedlings are established.
🌱 Once well established, Virginia clematis grows vigorously and can be pruned each spring to encourage thick, branched growth.
Ecological roles and utilities
🐝 A pollinator magnet : Its fragrant flowers attract bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects .
🐦 A food source for wildlife : Its feathery seeds are appreciated by certain granivorous birds .
🏞️ A natural soil stabilizer : Helps preserve banks and wetlands by stabilizing the soil.
🌿 An excellent ground cover : In the absence of support, it forms a thick plant cover .
Companion plants
🌿 Goldenrod, aster, echinacea, sand rye
Enemy plants
🌿 None known
Why grow Virginia clematis?
🌱 A flowering and easy to grow vine
🐝 A refuge and a source of food for biodiversity
🏞️ Ideal for covering trellises, fences or trees
🌿 A charming and natural ornamental addition to gardens
🌿 Add Virginia Clematis to your garden for abundant blooms and pollinator support!
