Read an Excerpt
Introduction: Why I Love Clematis What’s not to love? There are approximately 300 Clematis species (depending on which book you read), located on all the major continents except Antarctica. (But who knows what is under that melting ice?) The plants can be small evergreen shrublets on the South Island of New Zealand (C. marmoraria), herbaceous perennials from the brutal shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia (C. integrifolia), deciduous woodland shrubs from Korea (C. urticifolia), and of course vines. England’s only Clematis species, C. vitalba, attains enough height and weight to fell trees. There are clematis vines with no leaves (C. afoliata), and vines that prefer wet feet (C. crispa). Most clematis are proficient pollinator attractors, and some (Texas native C. carrizoensis, C. glaucophylla, C. texensis) are pollinated by hummingbirds. Some have fragrant blossoms (C. montana var. wilsonii hort., C. rehderiana). Species native to the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea flower in the winter. Exploration and research on this far-flung genus continue apace, from Russia and China to the southeastern United States. The real miracle of Clematis is that taxonomists have not pulled it apart into dozens of little pieces. No matter what your garden needs, there is likely at least one clematis to fill any niche you require. Modern large-flowered hybrids are available in any color except bright yellow and orange, and may be single, semidouble, and fully double (sometimes on the same vine at the same time). Clematis are being bred to stay short, flower over longer periods, or rebloom quickly, as well as to suit the demands of the cut flower industry. And it is no longer a truism that a garden full of clematis must be a garden replete with arbors, pergolas, trellises, fences, and other built structures with which to hold clematis aloft. Vertical is not the only direction vining clematis will grow, and non-climbing clematis need not be strapped to a tuteur like a Victorian lady in a corset. In the wild, species clematis consort with other plants, either blooming concurrently or unwittingly adding interest in the wilderness when shrubby neighbors are merely being green. You will notice asterisks next to the names of some cultivars in the 196 “clematis for the garden” entries. These 18 plants have been included in the International Clematis Society’s Clematis for Beginners list. You may safely assume any clematis making that list has been trialed all over the world and has been deemed easy to grow, dependable, and, oh yes...beautiful! We are told one ought not have favorites in a collection. What utter nonsense! Such directives go against human nature. You see my favorite pictured here, ‘Venosa Violacea’ (Viticella Group).
