C. terniflora is a climbing, semi-evergreen, woody vine (Swearingen and Bargeron, 2016). Stems are 3-6 m, climbing with tendril-like petioles and leaf rachises (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2018). Leaves are shiny, green and leathery (Missouri Botanical Garden, 2018), and are opposite, compound, with 3-5 leaflets of 5-7.5 cm and margins entire (Swearingen and Bargeron, 2016). Leaflets are ovate or broadly lanceolate to narrowly deltate (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2018). Inflorescences are axillary 3-12-flowered cymes (or compound cymes or paniculate with cymose subunits) (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2018). Flowers are 1.4-3.0 cm in diameter (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2018), bisexual often with some unisexual flowers in the same inflorescence, with pedicels of 1-3.5 cm (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2018). Flowers are fragrant with four slender white petal-like sepals (Swearingen and Bargeron, 2016) that are obovate-oblong and measure 5-15 x 2-6 mm (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2018). Flowers have up to 50 stamens and 5-10 unicarpellate pistils (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2018). The ovary is superior (Burnham, 2013). Seeds are enclosed in flattened achenes, production is prolific, and seed heads have long, silvery-grey, feather-like hairs (Swearingen and Bargeron, 2016). Each achene has a plume attached (Mahr, 2017), and this helps with wind dispersal (Burnham, 2013). The mature bark is light brown and shreds longitudinally (Burnham, 2013).
Related invasive species
- Clematis terniflora
Related Farm Practice
- Light
- Production
- Flora
Clematis terniflora is a perennial woody vine, native to Asia and introduced to North America as an ornamental. It can self-seed, and has escaped cultivation and naturalized in many parts of the USA. It is reported to be invasive in a number of eastern states. It grows in forest margins, scrub, grassy areas on hills and slopes, and in disturbed areas such as roadsides, thickets and urban green spaces. Seeds are widely dispersed by wind. It grows rapidly, forming dense clumps that outcompete and cover young native trees, shrubs and herbs at ground level and suppress seed germination. It can also climb to nearly 10 m, smothering trees and pulling down telephone poles. C. terniflora is difficult to control. Removal by hand can help encourage the growth of native species, but is unlikely to eliminate C. terniflora entirely due to root re-sprouting and prolific seed production. Some herbicides have proven effective in controlling the spread of this species;however, repeated applications are necessary.