Super Early, Super Easy *
Fast, Very Easy *
Don't Climb, Very Easy *
Super Hardy, Very Easy
Midsummer, Very Easy *
Cupped Flowers, Easy *
Species, Easy *
Early, Challenging
Super Early and Super Easy!
These clematis are GREAT choices for beginners:
They start the clematis season with very early blooms, usually with the lilacs.
They have bell shaped, nodding flowers, followed by handsome seed heads.
All are very winter hardy - our customers in Alaska love them!
We've never (knock on wood!) had diseases on these varieties.
Because they are so cold tolerant, they may not thrive in hot climates.
No Pruning Needed!
Summer Bloomers, Fast Growers, Very Easy
These plants are great choices for beginners:
They grow quickly and often bloom well the second year.
They are all quite tall, usually between 8 and 12 feet.
They produce huge quantities of relatively small flowers.
Many are downward facing and at least a little bell shaped.
They are extremely disease resistant and winter hardy.
All of them belong to the Full Prune catagory.
Clematis that don't climb! Very Easy!
These clematis don't climb; they will sprawl unless provided with support.
Most grow 3 to 4 feet tall and many have the downward facing bell shaped flowers.
Some varieties are lightly fragrant, especially
when planted in full sun.
Lots of them are good choices for growing in containers.
They are virtually wilt free, although they are sometimes prone to powdery mildew.
Full Prune in late winter or early spring.
The Kivistik Collection:
Summer Bloomers, Super Winter Hardy, Very Easy!
The Kivistik Clematis are bred in Estonia, close to the Arctic Circle
and bloom on the current year's growth. They are rarely over 6 feet tall,
and die back to the ground each winter. Although we list these plants as
Full Prune, most years all you will have to do is remove the dead stems
at ground level. Most of them bloom in Maine from late June on,
as long as it doesn't get too hot.
Summer Bloomers, Large Flowers, Very Easy
These clematis will flower starting in July and they will give you summer-long color.
These plants are winter hardy and disease resistant. The flowers are flat
and a little smaller than the early flowered type. They make up for the
difference in size by making lots of blooms!
Plants in this group are Full Prune.
Summer Bloomers, Cupped Flowers, Easy
This group of plants is hardy from Texas to Newfoundland!
Flowers are upward facing, usually tulip-shaped
and quite small.
Important:
Give them a light, even gravelly, soil and full sun.
Full Prune in late winter or early spring.
Early Bloomers, Challenging
These are the plants that most people think of when we say, "Clematis".
They bloom in late May or early June and have large, flat flowers.
Some varieties will repeat bloom in late summer.
These varieties are slow to mature, less robust than other types
and sometimes can be a pain in the neck. If you've never grown clematis,
we recommend you start with plants from another section.
Many authorities recommend treating these varteties as "moderate prune" clematis.
However, we respectfully disagree: Please see our Pruning Primer
for more information.
