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Clematis is a large group of climbers in the buttercup family, with a kind in flower for almost every month of the year. They range from rampant species that smother a wall in small white or pink flowers in spring to large-flowered hybrids with blooms the size of a saucer in summer, and late kinds with small bells or nodding lanterns into autumn. They climb by twisting their leaf stalks around anything thin enough to grip. Most are hardy and long-lived. The one thing a gardener needs to know is which of the three pruning groups a plant belongs to.
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Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten.
Eating it can cause vomiting and an upset stomach.
If your pet has eaten some, contact your vet.
Source: NC State Extension, Pet Poison Helpline
Pruning depends on when the plant flowers. Group 1 flowers in spring on last year's stems and is only tidied after flowering. Group 2, the large-flowered hybrids of early summer, is trimmed lightly in late winter. Group 3 flowers from midsummer on new growth and is cut down to 15-30cm in late winter. The plant label states the group.
Go by flowering time. Flowers in spring: group 1, no regular pruning. Large flowers in early summer, often with a second flush later: group 2, a light trim in late winter back to a pair of strong buds. Flowers from midsummer onwards: group 3, cut hard in late winter. If you do not know, leave it a year and watch.
Clematis wilt, a fungal disease that mostly strikes large-flowered hybrids. Stems wilt and blacken within days. Cut all affected growth back to healthy tissue, to ground level if necessary; a plant set deep usually reshoots from below the soil.
Plant large-flowered hybrids with the top of the root ball 5-8cm below the soil surface. The buried stems make new shoots if the top is lost to wilt or damage. Species and small-flowered kinds are planted level with the soil.
Clematis flower best with their top growth in light but want cool, moist roots. Shade the base with low plants, a thick mulch or a few flat stones, and water deeply in dry spells.
Something thin. The leaf stalks cannot grip posts or thick trellis bars, so fix wires, netting or mesh to walls and fences, and tie in young shoots until they catch. Clematis also climb well through shrubs and roses.
Yes, if you choose a compact variety and a pot at least 45cm deep and wide, with loam-based compost and an obelisk for support. Water regularly, feed in spring and summer and keep the pot shaded.
Cold weather while the buds form gives green-tinged early flowers on some large-flowered hybrids; later flowers come normal. Ragged holes in the petals are usually the work of earwigs at night.
