A vigorous deciduous climber, in late spring it is covered with a mass of small blooms for a period of about four weeks.

The odorous flowers are white or pink, four-petalled, with prominent yellow anthers.

[4] Clematis montana is a popular garden plant in temperate regions, with the ability to scramble up and over unsightly features such as sheds and fences.

[5] Numerous varieties and cultivars have been bred for horticultural use, including: Those cultivars marked AGM have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Clematis is the Greek name for several climbing plants, and is a diminutive of klema, meaning "vine shoot".