3 tips for growing clematis

These romantic, abundant blossoms are some of most beautiful vine flowers so it’s no wonder you’re thinking of adding them to your yard. These tips will help you grow a thriving Clematis vine in no time!

The most commonly grown types of Clematis are the large-flowered types which have showy star-shaped flowers up to 20 centimetres in diameter.

Clematis vines climb by looping little leaf stalks, or tendrils, around a neighboring branch, wire, stake, trellis, or other thin support. You can also train the plants to drape over a fence, porch railing, or lamppost.

You can even grow clematis in a large container outfitted with a willow-pole tepee. When the plant is not in flower, the leaves make a lovely screen.

The smaller blossoms of Clematis are just as spectacular as the large flowers. Although the individual flowers may be smaller, generally 5 to 10 centimetres across, you can produce them in such numbers that they completely hide the foliage of the vines at times. While most Clematis have six petals, some of these have only four, which gives them a more open, star-shaped appearance. Check out some of these varieties:

• 'Abundance' has wine red flowers, petals that twist slightly at the tips and greenish central stamens. The occasional flower has five or six petals, just to confuse things!
• 'Polish Spirit' also has an irregular number of petals although six is the average. Flowers open a plum purple with a red-purple stripe down each petal, and fade with age to a mauve-pink.
• 'Blue Bird' has slate blue flowers with twisted petals.
• 'Rosy O'Grady' has pale rose coloured flowers.
• Each of these types of Clematis flower in the summer and can tough it out in cold climates.

Clematis are winding sprawling vines that you can train up a tree or large shrub as well as on a traditional trellis. They climb about four metres into any kind of tree and their mid-summer flowers bring colour between the apple flowers and the ripe fruit.

Prune Clematis hard in spring, cutting them back to about 15 centimetres from the soil ready for summer blooming.

Clematis is a picturesque addition to any yard and able to be grown in many different ways to complement other plants, flowers trees and shrubs. These tips will help you to grow Clematis successfully.