It's a Clematis. I believe it is C terniflora which has those silver markings.

its a potential beast ...

im surpised you have only found one ... be done with it ... though its fragrance in fall is to die for ... it can be regionally invasive ... or at least a vigorous reseeder ... if not properly within the definition of invasive ...

ken

Clematis? I thought that was something folks buy, no? I thought they look beautiful in the nursery catalogs and have bought a couple over the years, but none have ever made it before the squirrels rip it out. @ken - do you agree, it is a clematis? Is there a difference between the ones you buy at a nursery and this one?

Floral is correct....it is Clematis terniflora, aka sweet autumn clematis. While this vine is often purchased in a nursery, it can also self seed rather freely and has become invasive in certain areas.

Most species clematis - like this one - have a very different appearance than those you most often find for sale at nurseries or garden centers. Those tend to be mostly the large flowered hybrids, with big, colorful and very showy flowers and a usually more restrained growth habit, developed from a complex breeding program.

Thank you all!! I know you all won't be happy to hear this, but I will 'pardon' it if it comes up this year (last year I did a massive removal of anything near the fence because it was due for painting). I live 'in-town' - miles from any open spaces; we don't have much in the way of vegetation, actually (the lush farmland that my house sits on, 120 years ago, has long been covered over with asphalt and concrete, and homes shoulder to shoulder). I have tried for years to bring a little bit of the nature into my postage stamp sized back yard - it hasn't been easy. But I promise to keep my first surviving clematis under control (I can't tell you how many I have bought - followed the instructions to a t - only to have it disappear in a couple of weeks :-), but it really is a beautiful vine - and the aroma is heavenly. Now that I know what it is, I'm sad that I really tore it up last year - if anything survived I will now nurture it well. sorry invasive-weed haters. :-) But thanks so much for all of your valuable information!

You can cut it back after it flowers to reduce any seed development. C. terniflora is a pruning group 3 clematis, meaning that it flowers on new growth and can/should be cut back hard each season. And that can be done in fall just as easily as it is done in spring :-)

Thanks, gardengal!

I am happy to report that MY CLEMATIS (wow!) is alive and well. Now that I know what I have I went out to see if it came back after my brutal scalping last summer. Yes -- and even better than before - lol! So I helped the few loose tendrils to find the fence. I'll keep it tidy - but if I do find it elsewhere in my yard, I'll pull it out. One is enough - since it does get fairly large every summer Unless I find it near my deck - that would be nice to have that aroma while relaxing on the deck in the summer evening - then I'll make another exception - ha ha! thanks, again!

Well, you the the right thing! It's been growing in my neighbors yards and I discouraged it from growing for years, but no more. Beautiful vine, beautiful fragrance!