BAM!
I had to really dig down deep in my poor botanical brain to figure this one out.
But judging by the leaves and growth habit, it looked like a greenbriar (Smilax), but it isn't.
I have another of the 21 species of greenbriar in my backyard, but it has small, green inconspicuous blooms.
This species is hardly that!
It also has a sweet fragrance at night and most of the day.
I'm glad she didn't whack it down; a thought that would cross most people's minds.
If you are familiar with this species, please DO TELL !
I've been on the Texas A&M website and can't track it down.
It is thornless and has smaller leaves than most greenbriars. Thankfully, I have some garden blog friends that
ended the mystery. Read comments after you've taken a guess. Hint: It has some very fancy, colorful family members.
Happy Wildflower Day!
or should I say Vineflower Day! :-)
Thanks to Gail at Clay and Limestone for this great idea. You can find her on my Garden Blog Favorites sidebar.
Maybe Clematis drummodiii? And could you explain to this Californian what a greenbriar is?
ReplyDeleteHappy vineflower day!
Wow, Denise! It might just be a wild clematis. The greenbriars I'm thinking about are in the genus Smilax, but like I said, I've never seen a Smilax have such wonderful flowers. I've got some garden friends over in Austin that might help solve this puzzle as to weather or not this clematis grows in this part of the U.S. Thanks for figuring this one out! :-) David
ReplyDeleteI meant "whether". I guess the weather is always on my mind. BTW, it rained .40" today. It's a start! :-)
ReplyDeleteDavid, I'm 99.9% certain that's a Sweet Autumn Clematis (C. terniflora). Mine is budded out but not yet blooming. Some people find it too aggressive a reseeder but it hasn't been too bad in my garden.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks to Cindy for more botanical sleuthing. Between Denise and Cindy I think we've got a final name:
ReplyDeleteClematis terniflora it is! With such a beautiful flower, I think I'll risk the aggressive reseeder situation. I can tell you, it's bloomed steadily during this relentless heat and dry spell. It's also attractive to pollinators. So, is it a native? I hope so.
David :-)
I second Cindy's ID. That's sweet Autumn clematis. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pam and Cindy, it's C. terniflora. It's clambering on the forsythia hedge in my harden~and will soon smell as luscious as your neighbors' There are probably a few stray seedlings in your garden ... gail
ReplyDeleteI thought it looked like Sweet Autumn; glad to see other bloggers agree. Good thing your neighbor didn't cut it down--it's a beauty in the fall.
ReplyDeleteI have found a lot of this fragrant vine growing wild along the shoreline of Lake Logan Martin in St. Clair County, Alabama. I did some research but could not find anything to identify it. I am so thrilled to find the mystery solved here! Thanks for the information. I hope I can transplant it easily to my property.
ReplyDelete