by Donna Lewis
Today it is cloudy and looks like rain. But in the secret garden there is a vine that is beautiful and blooming like crazy. When I get close to it, I can hear and almost feel the honeybees doing their thing on it. It’s a beautiful vine.
I cannot remember how I came to have it, because it is not a Texas native vine.
I try to buy native as much as I can. I also try to plant things for the pollinators. This plant is common in India and other Asian countries. So, I guess you could call it naturalized because it does great here.
I have seen it in many magazines covering arbors and fences. It is lovely and the tiny white flowers blend well with any other colors. It climbs well.
It blooms at the end of the summer when normally you don’t have much going on. That is refreshing.
It can get invasive, but the little beginner plants are easily removed.
I have this vine in a half-shaded area. When wet, the birds love to wiggle around in it getting a bath. The tree frogs also like it because it is moist. The garden’s inhabitants really like it.
As you can see, it really has some good qualities, and it is very pretty. No thorns. I like that.
You will have to decide for yourself if it’s for you.
As I always say…who are you gardening for?
Nature Along the El Camino Real 
Thank you so much for this post. I’ll definitely be looking for a clematis or two for my garden. Oh and asking who I’m gardening for is some of the most helpful gardening advice I’ve ever gotten ❤️ thank you truly
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We will let Donna know you appreciated her post.
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I have about 40 acres of property in USDA zone 4. In the spring one of the first things my honeybees go to are the mounds of invasive Japanese honeysuckle sprinkled all over. Around this time of year the Japanese clematis vines have covered the honeysuckle and the bees are all over those blooms before the acres of goldenrod start blooming. I planted neither. Guessing the whitetail deer carried seeds in at some point like they probably did for the two native apple trees that grow out back unassisted through our long, harsh winters. It’s nice to have a critter on the property I don’t have to worry about feeding every day (we have chickens, rabbits, and hoping to get some sheep soon).
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