Every month we get asked many questions about all aspects of growing Clematis. We have now moved to a third page and linked from here to the earlier two pages plus an additional page where we have either been sent photos or have replied with a photo.
The idea of these pages is to help our visitors and lighten the load on the small number of dedicated members who have the task of answering all your emails. Please look at these pages first before reaching for the feedback form. Finally, please be patient with us as it may take a while for us to reply.
We are experiencing a severe drought and heat wave this summer. My 5 year old clematis armandii has turned completely brown with just a very few faded green leaves. If I prune it how low to the ground should I go? The lower part is thick and woody. Also should I prune it now, or wait until fall? (Question from the USA.)
Your Clematis armandii may be suffering from the drought as they do like moisture, like all clematis, but it may also be that the stems are damaged by wind or other action or accident. It is also quite common for a part of an armandii to suffer from its leaves turning brown. There is a theory that this is a virus based problem, but no real proof is available.
Cutting it back is the only option and I would do this now so that there is a chance it will produce new shoots before it goes into winter dormancy. Even thick stems can shoot out, but I would leave a foot or so of stem above ground to be on the safe side. Once pruned, give it a feed of tomato or rose food to encourage it back to life. It may not shoot out this year, but do not give up, it may surprise you next year and re-appear after you've forgotten about it - ours did and it is 10 feet tall now.
Jon and Ruth Gooch, Great Britain.
I've had a number of Clematis which look great and then collapse as they come into full flower, what can I do to prevent this happening?
In the clematis world there are many hybrid cultivars with a wide range of garden worthiness. Many large flowered, early blooming, clematis belonging to group two are poor garden plants. These seem to be particularly susceptible to clematis wilt. I refer you to the article on WILT on the International Clematis Society web site in the Growing and looking after your Clematis section.
Here is a list of reliable and vigorous, summer blooming Clematis varieties partially generated from Dr. John Howell's wonderful new book, Trouble Free Clematis - The Viticellas. The * varieties are considered some of the best and the **varieties are my favorite of the best (a difficult decision to make). If you are planning to plant only one clematis it should be Viola, in my humble opinion.
I've given the colour of the flower and its size with the ultimate growing height of the plant.
Bill Bird, USA
The Viticellas - wilt resistant clematis
*Abundance - pinky mauve, 3.5 inches, end of June to mid autumn, 20 feet
Alba Luxurians - white with green, 3 inches, mid June to mid autumn, 16 feet
Betty Corning - pale velvet bell shape, 2.5 inches, early summer to mid autumn, 10 feet
*Blekitny Aniol (Blue Angel) light blue, early summer to early autumn, 4 inches, 13 feet
**Blue Belle - dark purple, 4 inches, late summer, 20 feet
*Emilia Plater - violet blue, 4 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 12 feet
**Etiole Violet - dark purple, 5.5 inches, mid-late June to early autumn, 15 feet
*Huldine - white (tinged with violet), 4 inches, mid summer to late autumn, 15 feet
*Jenny Caddick (new) - pinky red, 3.25 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 10 feet
*Kermesina - red, 4 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 20 feet
Kosmiczeskaja (Russian), very dark red, 3.5 inches, early summer to early autumn, 12 feet
Little Nell - white (pinky violet edges), 2.5 inches, early summer to mid autumn, 20 feet
*Madame Julia Correvon - red, 5 inches, Late June to early autumn, 12 feet
Margaret Hunt - rosy-pink, 4 inches, early summer to mid autumn, 12 feet
*Margot Koster - pink, 4 inches, early summer to mid autumn, 10 feet
Minuet - white with red edges, 3.25 inches, summer, 10 feet
Mrs. T. Lundell - white with mauve edges, 4.5 inches, late June to early autumn, 12 feet
*Polish Spirit - rich purple with rosy bar, 3.5 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 15 feet
**Prince Charles - light blue, 4 inches, early summer to early autumn, 12 feet Purpurea Plena Elegans - double purple, 2.5 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 12 feet
Royal Velours - very dark red, 3.5 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 12 feet
*Södertälje - dark purple-red, 4 inches, early summer to early autumn, 16 feet
*Tango - cherry red with white bars, 2 inches, mid summer to early autumn. 10 feet
**Venosa Violacea - purple with white bars, 4.5 inches, early summer to early autumn, 10 feet
Ville de Lyon - carmine red with darker tips, 4 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 10 feetLate large flowered hybrids with some (possible) Viticella parentage - very wilt resistant
Ascotiensis - purple, late autumn, 12 feet
*Ernest Markham - red, mid June, 15 feet.
**Perle d'Azur - light blue, 6 inches, late June, 16 feet
Voluceau - red-purple, 7 inches, mid summer to mid autumn, 12 feetEstonian Viticella crosses - Not widely available yet - very wilt resistant
Aino, Eetika, *Entel, Juuli, Kaaru, Kasmu, Kiev, Kommerei, Miikla, Mikelite, Mu-meri, Pirko, Riistimaegi, *Romantika, Tartu, *Teksa, **Tentel, Triinu, Trikatrei, Uhtsi, and **ViolaJackmanii Group - wilt resistant
*Comtesse de Bouchaud, *Hagley Hybrid, *Jackmanii, Madame Edwouard Andre, *Victoria, Madame Baron VeillardTexensis Group - wilt proof
**Dutchess of Albany, Gravetye Beauty, Ladybird Johnson, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Princess Diana*C. Integrifolia Durandii - non climber that scrambles over other plants.
I would like to plant clematis through a chair in my flower bed: south side of house under canopy trees that provide only dappled sun during the entire day. Lots of leaf compost in bed with azaleas nearby. Any suggestions?
I would suggests trying pale lavender 'Silver Moon' in the bed with dappled light. It can do well in partial sun if there is sufficient ambient light in general. In your zone you have a long season of sunshine, so there is a good chance that this clematis would thrive. It has the extra advantage of being in the hard prune group, so you could cut it back enough in the fall to remove the chair if you wished and trim it to about 2 feet above a pair of fat buds in early spring.
Using a chair as a support is a delightful idea!
Judith Stanton, Connecticut, USA.
I live in B.C., Canada, zone 3. We get -30 to -45 celsius for a week or two at a time in the winter. I would like to know of any clematis that are VERY hardy.
There are many Clematis that will grow in zone 3. If you can find Raymond J. Evison's book Making the Most of Clematis third edition, that will give you some good choices. The Clematis I would suggest you plant would be the Viticellas or Alpinas and Macropetalas, also Tangutica and many more.
It would be best to plant your Clematis in early spring, so they have good roots by fall, and then mulch with some nice compost about 2 - 3 inches in the fall. Come spring, spread the compost around.
Peter Keeping, Ontario, Canada.
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