Grocery store plant.

I found this plant at my local grocery. They were closing down the last of the summer plants, and replacing them with the fall mums. I am chatty with the lady who does the flowers at my store, and she told me she's pretty sure it's a clematis. But the tag had come off and she couldn't remember what kind. I have a vague recollection of having seen the plant several weeks ago when the tag was still on it, when I was considering it for the garden.

The tag said something like pretty autumn, or sweet something.....I think. Something like that. It had a few tiny white flowers on it when I bought it last week, I think 5 pointed, like starfish maybe?

Anyway I don't know what I was thinking buying it so late, but it looked so lonely and forlorn and the price was right. If it is a clematis, I'm thinking it needs lots of sun, right? Don't quite know how I'm going to accomplish that, there's not much with all these trees!

Anyway, my questions are:

1) Is it a clematis, and if so what kind?
2) Do clematis (or this plant if it's not a clematis) need full sun?
3) Is it too late to plant it?

 

You are describing Sweet Autumn Clematis (clematis turniflora), which unlike many clematises (clematii?) isn't picky about growing conditions, but it does like full sun.
It can get to 10', and really needs some support like a sturdy trellis. It also self-seeds pretty easily. We had one up north at the back of the yard, and always looked forward to the late summer display of white flowers, and then the pretty seed heads.
I'd get it in the ground as quickly as possible, and water it to keep the soil moist for a week or 10 days. Let it settle in, and I'll bet you have a great display next fall!

 

I can't be sure, pernaps Sweet Autumn Clematis. That one will thrive in our state and is very vigorous. Some call it "invasive" here. You can plant it now or hold it in its pot until spring. I held one in a pot all though last year and it did fine.

 

Sweet Autumn! Yes, that was it!!

And wow, that is one large plant it's going to grow into! I'm trying to think where I have a place that will be big enough, with enough sun for the thing to thrive. Hmmmm......

 

Ronni, Sweet Autumn lends itself to rather rigorous pruning, so if you want to spend some quality time with your clematis, you can keep it cut back to a more manageable size.

 

High Five to my fellow Tennessean! :-D

When you say "hold it in its pot" do you mean just leave it in the pot I bought it in, and wait for it to die back like it would if it were planted?

Assuming that's what you mean, does that also mean it will just come back next year in that pot, the same way it would if it were in the ground?