Kathyrn MacDougald describes a scene two weeks ago on the banks of the Chattahoochee River near the Paces Ferry Road bridge: “Nan and Britt Pendergrast and I were sitting under the full moon watching the water. Across the way, the banks of the river literally glowed. It looked like someone had taken a paint brush and splashed white everywhere. It was magical.”

What MacDougald was referring to was sweet autumn clematis in bloom. The vine, also known as virgin’s bower, has naturalized along the river, reaching up into trees and covering shrubs growing on the banks.

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Martha Tate / AJC Special

Make an arch from Evergreen wisteria or train it to grow along a fence.

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Martha Tate / AJC Special

Clematis terniflora sweet autumn, which produces clusters of white starburst flowers on twining stems, can be good or bad in the garden.

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It depends on your perspective, but Clematis terniflora, which produces clusters of white starburst flowers on twining stems, can be either good or evil. The vine is on a list of invasive plants for the Southeast, and is on several global lists as well. On the other hand, it is a favorite of many gardeners, who prize the charming mass of white flowers it produces each August.

Clematis terniflora is just one of many vines that you have to be careful what you wish for when you plant it in your garden. Sometimes, in our zeal to grow a certain plant, we don’t look at the long-term consequences.

Below are several plants that are notorious for invasive, possibly destructive growth, although they can be fabulous in the garden and provide beauty and a lot of charm if watched over with care.

• Akebia vine (Akebia quinata): Garden designer Louise Poer has trained this vine in an arch on a back wall of her Atlanta home, but at one time, the vine had taken over the entire wall face. “I love the purple flowers and the fragrance in spring.” Akebia will get away from you, though, so you’ll need to commit to keeping it cut back throughout the growing season.

• ‘New Dawn’ rose: Nothing is more beautiful in May than the first flush of exquisite, light pink blooms on this popular climber. This is a strong, vigorous rose, and the viciously thorny canes quickly become thick and hard to deal with. A simple arbor won’t be enough to support it. Jane Kyburz of Marietta has trained ‘New Dawn’ along a sturdy white picket fence where it can be controlled fairly easily. I saw hers in the spring, and it was heartbreakingly beautiful. Even now, she has blooms.

“I’ve learned that I can prune this rose whenever it suits me and get away with it,” says Jane. “I do cut it back in February, and in summer I’ll cut off the long shoots to keep them from grabbing anyone who drives up.”

• Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae): I once noticed a Lady Banks rose freshly planted next to a mailbox. Two years later, it was gone. This rose will easily climb to 30 feet within just a few years, so it needs room to grow. Louise Poer cuts off the long shoots when they first appear after the rose blooms in spring and keeps cutting them back. Her rose, which wraps around two sides of her house, hasn’t suffered from the pruning. “I must have had thousands of blooms this year,” she says. Louise has the yellow form; the white Lady Banks needs the same treatment.

• Fig vine: It was probably eight years ago that I planted three little sprigs of fig vine (Ficus pumila) at the base of my house in the back. Today, the evergreen vine with small, rounded leaves goes up two stories and totally covers a 40-foot long wall that surrounds a concrete deck.

I like the way it provides a backdrop for container plants. The catch is that I have to clip it several times during the growing season to keep the tendrils from growing on the floor of the deck or up the adjacent walls. Also, it needs to be sheared once a year to prevent a shaggy look. I could have never guessed these little cuttings that I rooted in water would have such an impact.

• Wisteria: The bane of my existence. I once thought the purple mansions this vine created at the cottage in back of my house were glorious. It wasn’t long until I realized this horrendous monster had every tree in its grip. I’m still fighting the war after 35 years, and I am losing. Don’t even think you can put this vine on an arbor and expect the structure to stay up. Yes, if you cut back and cut back until August, you may have a chance. Keeping Wisteria sinensis shaped into a tree form is your best bet. Plant the American form (W. frutescens) for better control.

MARTHA’S PICK

Evergreen Wisteria

Millettia reticulata

About the plant: A semi-evergreen twining, woody climber. In mid- to late summer into fall, deep rose-purple wisteria-like racemes appear. 15 feet to 20 feet.

Use in the garden: Suitable for an arch or to train along a fence. A very unusual addition to the late summer garden.

Planting and care: Plant in full to part sun in well-drained, fertile soil.

Source: Almost Eden, 1240 Smith Road, Merryville LA 70653; 337-375-2114; www.almostedenplants.com