How To Grow & Care For Clematis

If you’re considering acquiring the clematis vine for your garden, it’s best to know how to care for its needs before you buy and prepare to plant it.

Below is the clematis plant I added to my garden this past spring. The flower is still beautiful even after it rained for a few hours.

Clematis is a popular perennial climber hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. 

They’re a great choice for a fence, wall, or trellis. Some are at their best in sun and some in shade. Mine seems to do best in partial shade, as it sits on a cement patio in a container.

Clematis are typically long-lived plants and do not like to be moved. So if you’re planting in the ground choose your site carefully.

Types & Colors Of Clematis Plants:

First of all, while there are compact cultivars that grow just 3-feet tall, other clematis can reach 20-feet or more.

Flower styles of clematis vary from big singles to frilly doubles, delicate miniatures and even bell-shaped blossoms.

Colors vary from white, pink, red, burgundy, lavender, deep purple and yellow.

How To Select A Planting Site:

Select a site where the plant’s roots can be shaded and cool, but its stems will be in full sun.

• Most clematis varieties need a site with at least six hours of full sun. 
• Clematis grows best in loose, well-draining soil.
• Work plenty of compost into the soil prior to planting. 
• Position the crown of the plant, where the root meets the stem, 1-2 inches below the surface of the soil.

These twining leaf stems are short and can only wrap themselves around something that’s less than about 1/4-inch in diameter. So keep this in mind when you provide a trellis for it to climb up.

If you have critters that nibble on your clematis plants you can surround a young plant with a cylinder of wire mesh.