Devil’s Darning Needles Clematis virginiana is a deciduous, perennial, climbing vine with bright green, trifoliate leaves. It grows in moist soils at the borders of woods, the edges of swamp forests, and in thickets across most of Louisiana. July through September, Devil’s Darning Needles bears fragrant, white flowers, which attract butterflies, native bees, and hummingbirds.
This plant grows best in moist, rich soils on sites with full sun to part shade, but it will do fine in dry shade. Growth is rapid, it can grow up to 20’ in one growing season. Pruning the stems back to within a few feet of the ground in the spring encourages bushiness. The vine will climb on narrow supports such as twigs or wire fences.