Common name: Clematis
Family: Ranunculaceae, Buttercup
Height x width: 2-3' x 6'-25'
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: opposite or sometimes alternate, one to three leaflets
Flowers: most colors and bicolors, 2-6" across, 4-8 sepals, no petals, many hybrids rebloom in fall
Hardiness: zones 3-5 to 7-8
Soil: prefer moist, cool out of direct sun, well-drained
Light: sun to part shade
Pests and problems: leaf spot, stem rot, beetles, clematis borer, mites, whiteflies, scales
Landscape habit, uses: vine on trellis, fence, over shrubs, elsewhere
Other interest: vines climb by leaf stalks (petioles) twisting around supports
Other culture: prune new plants back to above vigorous leaf axil buds first year to promote basal growth, pruning subsequent years varies with species and variety (see below groupings)
Propagation: softwood cuttings, layering
Species:
heracleifolia (hair-ah-clee-ah-fol' ee-ah)--Tube Clematis, zones 3-7, 2-3' x 3', fragrant blue flowers in late summer, vigorous shrubby non-climbing habit
integrifolia (in-teh-gri-fol' ee-ah)--Solitary Clematis, zones 3-7, 2-5' tall, violet to medium blue or white flowers 1" or less across and downturned or nodding, late summer bloom before heracleifolia, one of best non-vining species
maximowicziana (paniculata)(max-i-mo-wick-zee-aa' nah)--Sweet Autumn Clematis, zones 3-8, hundreds of fragrant, creamy-white flowers to 1" across in late summer and early fall, may be partially evergreen in south, cut back in spring, one of easiest to grow
montana (mon-tan' ah)--zones 5-8, 15-20' tall, single or semidouble 2-3" flowers white to pink in early summer, many blooms on previous year's growth so prune after flowering, easy to grow
recta (rec' tah)--Ground Clematis, zones 3-7, 4-5' tall, hundreds of fragrant white flowers to 1" across in summer followed by silvery seedheads, partially climbing to sprawling yet attractive
viticella (vit-ah-chel' ah)--15-20' tall (cultivars 10-15'),
purple to red flowers 3-4" across most of summer, vigorous, less susceptible
to clematis wilt
Cultivars:
Of the eleven flowering groupings of hybrids, based on main parentage, the following are the most common:
Florida Group--flower late spring on last year's growth so prune after flowering, mostly semi-double to double flowers
Jackman Group--flower late summer on current year's growth
Lanuginosa Group--flower on last season's growth in early summer, or if cut back in spring flower more vigorously on current season's growth, may produce double flowers on old growth and single flowers on new growth
Patens Group--flower on previous year's growth so cut back heavily after bloom
Viticella Group--flower much of summer on current year's growth
| Cultivars, other taxa | Group, species | flowers | other |
| 'Barbara Jackman' | Patens Group | blue/carmine bicolor | 6-8" flowers, early |
| 'Bees Jubilee' | Patens Group | ||
| 'Belle of Woking' | Florida Group | mauve-blue, double | early summer |
| 'Candida' | Lanuginosa Group | pure white | 7-9" flowers |
| 'Dr. Ruppel' | Patens Group | white, red center | 7-8" flowers, ruffle edge |
| 'Duchess of Edinburgh' | Florida Group | white, yellow stamens | semi- to double, early |
| 'Elizabeth' | montana | soft pink | vanilla scent |
| 'Elsa Spath' | Lanuginosa Group | lavender-blue | 6-8" flowers seem double, |
| 'Ernst Markham' | Viticella Group | red, gold stamens | 4-6" flowers, summer |
| 'Etiole Violette' | Viticella Group | deep purple, starlike | |
| f. grandiflora | montana | pure white | vanilla scent |
| 'Gipsy Queen' | Jackman Group | rich purple, red stamens | 6" flowers, summer |
| 'Hagley Hybrid' | Jackman Group | pink, brown anthers | 5-6" flowers, summer |
| 'Henryi' | Lanuginosa Group | pure white, dark stamens | 4-7" flowers, summer |
| 'Horn of Plenty' | Lanuginosa Group | light blue, darker highlights | summer |
| 'Huldine' | Viticella Group | iridescent white | 4" flowers, summer |
| 'Jackmanii' | -- | vivid purple | 5-6" flowers, summer |
| 'Kermesina' | Viticella Group | crimson, small | |
| 'King Edward VII' | Lanuginosa Group | lilac, pink centers | 5-6" flowers, late |
| 'Lady Betty Balfour' | Viticella Group | violet, creamy stamens | 5-6" flowers, summer |
| 'Lasurstern' | Patens Group | blue, creamy stamens | 7-9" flowers, early |
| 'Lincoln Star' | Patens Group | raspberry red, white edges | 8" flowers, early |
| 'Marjorie' | montana | creamy pink | single or semidouble |
| 'Mme. Baron Veillard' | Jackman Group | lilac-pink | 6" flowers, summer |
| 'Mme. Edouard Andre' | Jackman Group | velvet red, yellow stamens | 5-6" flowers, early |
| 'Mme. Julia Correvon' | Viticella Group | rosy red | 3-4" blooms |
| 'Nelly Moser' | Lanuginosa Group | pink | 5-6" flowers, summer |
| 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' | viticella | rose-purple, double | showy, late bloom |
| 'Ramona' | Lanuginosa Group | blue, dark anthers | 6-8" flowers, summer |
| var. rubens | montana | pink, varied | scent, purplish foliage |
| 'Ville de Lyon' | Viticella Group | carmine, cream stamens | 4" flowers, summer |
| 'William Kennett' | Lanuginosa Group | lavender-blue ruffled | 6-8" flowers, summer |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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