Take Your Garden to New Heights with Clematis
How to Pronounce Clematis
Is it pronounced CLEM-uh-tis or cla-MA-tis? Either, but experts tend to use the former. The name comes from the Greek klēma, for vine branch. Above, 'Dr. Ruppel' clematis creeps up an arch to meet a Colette climbing rose.
Clematis Varieties to Try
Most garden centers carry clematis, but you'll find more diversity online, including funky shapes, dozens of hues and even shrub varieties. One top source: Donahue's in Faribault, Minnesota, a 49-year-old family business that grows 130 varieties under 4 acres of greenhouses—1 million plants in all.
Josephine
This 6- to 8-foot double pink clematis is a Donahue's bestseller launched by legendary British breeder Raymond Evison. As its flowers age, the outer petals fall away, revealing a central pom-pom. Another stunning double is Diamantina in purple-blue.
'Stand By Me'
Instead of vining, this clematis grows as a 3-foot shrub. Its abundant bell-shape flowers open by June and return in late summer. After blooming, cream thread-like seed heads appear. Other compact varieties: yellow 'Little Lemons' or red Rebecca.
How to Help Clematis Climb
Clematis can only cling to something less than 1 inch in diameter, so consider adding "helper lines" of twine or fishing line to these options.
Wall Trellises
Install against a fence or wall to sustain vigorous vines that climb beyond 6 feet.
Tuteurs
Pyramid-style trellises create vertical interest in perennial borders. Obelisk-shape models work well in beds or pots for shorter vines or shrub forms.
Posts
Lamp, fence or deck—any solid post can support a clematis, as long as you add slim guide lines.
Other Plants
Yep! Add surprising color to a shrub rose, conifer or tree by planting a clematis vine at the base.
Clematis Care and Growing Tips From a Pro
Donahue's Kathy Donahue Nass says to start with a gallon-size plant that's hardy for your zone. Dig a hole deeper than the pot in a sunny spot and plant so the first two sets of leaves are buried. Water twice a week for six weeks, then once a week if dry. Clematis prefers "cool feet and sunny shoulders," so mulch the base or shade it with other plants.
Prune by early spring to encourage full new growth. Methods vary by variety, but Nass says "the ponytail cut" works for most Midwest clematis. Grab a handful of growth and chop off 6 to 9 inches above soil level.
Clematis Planting Ideas
Kathy Donahue Nass plants two varieties together to mix colors and bloom times, and she trained sweet autumn clematis up old crabapples (fooling neighbors into thinking the trees were reblooming in fall). Shorter varieties can be grown in 18- to 20-inch containers. Overwinter them in an unheated garage until mid-April.