Clematis terniflora is blooming in the forest near Stone Mountain. It’s a perennial vine that puts out white flowers — each with four petals. The blooms are so dense it looks like someone draped laundry over bushes in the woods.
It’s a beautiful plant that escaped from the garden. Clematis terniflora is from China and Japan, so it’s invasive. It’s also poisonous.
I wondered what it might be competing with in the underbrush beneath the canopy. I found Beefsteak plant, Perilla frutenscens, an annual with heart-shaped leaves that are used in salads. It’s also from Asia: Japan, Korea, China and Indochina. I also found some witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, a native that is part of our folklore.
Atlanta prides itself as being a city built in forest. The area around Atlanta has something like 6 million people, including many gardeners. It’s striking how much of the garden is now in the forest.
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