Score one for artificial intelligence

     The clematis have been on our front porch as long as I can remember. I don't recall planting them — either they were always there, or just showed up. Or, I suppose I planted them, years ago, and just forgot.

     Whatever the case, Monday, when I put out the flag to honor Labor Day, as I said the pledge, I noticed they had begun to bloom, in earnest, throwing open their white four blade propeller blooms to the world, and had a thought I've never had before:
     Why do they bloom in the fall? When most flowers bloom in the spring? Is there a reason?
     This must be well known — they are, after all, Sweet Autumn Clematis, and, somewhat incredibly, I did a deep dive into them three years ago, name checking Victor Hugo and Shakespeare, ranging from ancient Greece to Scottish poetry without raising the question that puzzled me now.     

     Not wanting to cheat, and consult AI, I cracked open the Encyclopedia Britannica, and found them under the buttercup family, and read: "Clematis (clematis, or traveler's joy) with about 230 species in temperate regions especially in the Northern Hemisphere and in tropical mountains of Africa."

     And read. And read.

     Much discussion of leaves, tendrils, stems. "They are climbing plants..." No kidding. Then this surprise: "The flowers are principally bisexual." I guess they can't serve in the U.S. military then, or hold driver's licenses in Kansas. The Britannica veered near the topic, "Perennial herbaceous species usually persist over the winter by means of a rhinzome or condensed rootstock, so that, with the death of the aerial shoots after flowering, a bud emerges from the rhizome or rootstock to give rise to the following years' shoots."

    Right. But why in the fall? I pushed on.

    Pedals. Ovules. Pollen sacs that generally open by valves. Some interesting stuff. But not to the point. 

    I gave up, sighed, and typed "Why do clematis bloom in the autumn?" into Google.

    "Certain clematis varieties, such as the Sweet Autumn Clematis, bloom in the autumn because they grow and flower exclusively on new wood produced during the current growing season." Along with a photo of my clematis. As if the AI knew.

     Following were three bullet points:

     — New wood growth: Unlike spring-blooming varieties that form buds on old stems from the previous year, autumn-blooming types start fresh each year. 

      — Time to mature: The plant needs the entire spring and summer to grow long vines and reach the size required to support heavy clusters of buds. 

     — Seasonal triggers: Shorter days and cooler late-summer temperatures signal the plant to finally open its fragrant white flowers, which last until the first frost. 

     Okay, I know my default has been that AI is balky and flawed and ridiculous. But it wins this round over the august Encyclopedia Britannica.