Flower profile

Virgin's bower

Clematis virginiana

Virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) is a vine in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Virgin's bower is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

37states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

17,408U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia

Quick look

Clematis virginiana is a vine of the Ranunculaceae native to North America from Newfoundland to southern Manitoba down to the Gulf of Mexico. The rationale for some of the common names is unclear, as they include examples normally applied to unrelated plants, including twining parasites.
From Wikipedia's article Clematis virginiana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 37 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 15 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,760 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #96 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,180 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #73 among the 159 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 549 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #70 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,096 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Michigan	Native	few records (30)	1,760
Vermont	Native	July–August	1,180
New Hampshire	Native	few records (35)	549
Connecticut	Native	few records (15)	466
West Virginia	Native	few records (24)	335

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 5 states.

See each state

Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}

West Virginia

No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2), OK (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, sap/juice. Symptoms they list: “Clematis can cause severe mouth pain and ulcers if eaten. Toxic to dogs, cats, horses. Clinical signs are salivation, vomiting, diarrhea. In humans, symptoms may include dizziness, confusion, fainting, and convulsions. Fatalities are rare, due to the rapid…” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Leatherflower” (Clematis sp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Salivation, vomiting… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records virgin's bower in 37 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Alcona, Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Baraga, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Houghton, Ingham, Ionia, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Monroe, Montmorency, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne, Wexford.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Virgin's bower a medium shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.0 to 6.8 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.0 to 6.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 85
Annual precipitation range: 32 to 55 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Black · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CLVI5. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1105 counties across 35 states; the most are in Ohio (84), Virginia (78), Kentucky (77).

Other Clematis on Bloomipedia (6): Autumn clematis, Old man's beard clematis, Hairy clematis, Western white clematis, Swamp leatherflower, Purple clematis.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica.

More Michigan flowers

Marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: April–June

Red columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: May–June

White baneberry

Actaea pachypoda

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLVI5.
iNaturalist, Clematis virginiana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Clematis virginiana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (9):
Show all 9 state lists
- Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
- Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Clematis virginiana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Even Dankowicz via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.