Virginia Virgin's-bower

Clematis virginiana

Found in a wide variety of moist forests, thickets, and openings. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 15–20 feet
Spread: 3–6 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Clematis virginiana — bloom photograph — Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: July to September
Fruiting season: Fall

JFMAMJJASOND

Recorded in 21 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

10CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Clematis

Alcathoe caudataClematis Borer, Clematis Clearwing Moth
Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
Horisme intestinataBrown Bark Carpet
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
Pseudothyris sepulchralisMournful Thyris
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyris maculataSpotted Thyris

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

9BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Clematis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Flies 19

Archytas analis
Archytas aterrima
Belvosia unifasciata
Calliphora erythrocephala
Calythea albicincta
Ennyomma globosa
Graphomyia americana
Limnophora narona
Lucilia sericata
Musca domestica

Show all 19

Nemopoda minuta
Phorantha purpurascens
Piophila casei
Protocalliphora splendida
Senotainia trilineata
Sepsis violacea
Siphona geniculata
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Stratiomyia unilimbata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 6

Ammobia ichneumonea
Ancistrocerus tigris
Isodontia apicalis
Lindenius errans
Nysson plagiatus
Oxybelus 4-notatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 1

Lopidea media

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Adult butterflies / moths

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Hardiness: Zones 6a–8b
Flower color: White
Growth rate: Slow
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 6a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “15–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Common Virgins Bowert; Virginia Virgin's bower; Virgins Bower

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Virginia Virgin's-bower

At a glance

Natural habitats

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Clematis