Practical
Clematis Varieties Compared: By Bloom Time, Size, and Pruning Group
Clematis is less fussy than its reputation, and much of the fuss is pruning. Here is which one to grow by bloom time and size, and when to cut each.
Clematis has a reputation for being fussy, and a good share of it is really a pruning problem. One genus covers an evergreen that flowers in March, big-flowered hybrids that open in May, and summer bloomers that flower on new growth, each cut on its own rule. Our clematis page compares 21 records side by side; this guide sorts the source-checked varieties among them by bloom time and size.
Which clematis should I plant?
For most gardens, 'Jackmanii': the classic velvety purple, hardy in zones 4 to 9, flowering June to September on an 11-foot vine. It is pruning Group 3: one hard cut each late winter, and it still flowers that summer. 'Ville de Lyon' does the same in red. For part shade, 'Nelly Moser'; for a pot, 'Bijou' at 20 inches; and where winters are mild, the evergreen Armandii 'Snowdrift', flowering from March.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Height | Sun | Pruning group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armandii 'Snowdrift' | White | March to April | 21 ft | Full sun | 1 |
| 'Nelly Moser' | Pink | May to September | 10 ft | Part shade | 2 |
| 'Doctor Ruppel' | Pink | May to September | 10 ft | Part shade | 2 |
| 'Jackmanii' | Purple | June to September | 11 ft | Full sun | 3 |
| 'Ville de Lyon' | Red | June to September | 10 ft | Full sun | 3 |
| 'Hagley Hybrid' | Pink | June to September | 8 ft | Part shade | 2 or 3 |
| 'Adam's Courage' | Purple | June to September | 5.5 ft | Full sun | 2 or 3 |
| 'Bernadine' | Blue | June to September | 4.5 ft | Part shade | 2 or 3 |
| 'Bijou' | Purple | June to September | 20 in | Full sun | 2 or 3 |
| Sweet autumn clematis | White | August to October | 13 ft | Full sun | 3 |
Read the bloom column as a pruning rule
The early bloomers, 'Snowdrift' in March and the striped pinks in May, flower on last year's stems, so a hard winter cut costs 'Snowdrift' its whole year's flowers and the pinks their first flush. The rows that open in June or later bloom on new growth and still flower that summer after a hard cut in late winter, though on the rows marked 2 or 3 a light trim keeps an early flush on old stems. Not every June bloomer is so forgiving: many big-flowered hybrids that open in June are Group 2. In the coldest zones, where winter can kill old stems, the rows from 'Jackmanii' to 'Bijou' are the dependable choice.
Heights split as neatly: 8 to 11 feet for the classic hybrids, under 6 feet for the compact ones, 13 and 21 feet for sweet autumn and 'Snowdrift'. All but two rows are hardy in zones 4 to 9; 'Adam's Courage' stops at zone 7, and 'Snowdrift' is hardy only in zones 7 to 9. The other cultivars on our clematis page, white 'Henryi' and red 'Niobe' among them, were not yet source-checked when this guide was written.
Big summer flowers for a fence or arch
Clematis 'Jackmanii'
The classic purple, a favorite since the mid-1800s: velvety violet flowers from June to September on an 11-foot vine, hardy zones 4 to 9. Group 3, so one hard cut in late winter is all it asks.
Clematis 'Ville de Lyon'
The red classic: carmine flowers with darker edges, June to September on a 10-foot vine tall enough to send up an arbor or through a large shrub. Group 3, cut hard in late winter.
For part shade: the striped and shell pinks
Some bicolored large-flowered clematis fade in strong sun, so extension services suggest an east-facing wall or light shade. These three suit that spot.
Clematis 'Nelly Moser'
The striped classic: pale mauve-pink with a carmine bar down each sepal, May to September on a 10-foot vine. Its color fades in strong sun, so give it an east wall; trim it lightly in late winter.
Clematis 'Doctor Ruppel'
Pink with a broad, deep rose bar, May to September on a 10-foot vine. A clematis specialist rates it more shade-tolerant than most writers allow, and it makes a good cut flower.
Clematis 'Hagley Hybrid'
Shell-pink flowers from June to September on an 8-foot vine, the shortest of the classic hybrids, that does best out of full sun. The forgiving one of the three: a light trim or a hard cut both work.
For pots and small spaces
The compact clematis flower on old and new stems, so any late-winter cut works. Give each a pot at least 18 inches deep and wide; our small-space guide has more for a balcony.
Clematis 'Evipo030'
The smallest here at 20 inches, with violet flowers from June to September, bred for patio pots. It needs no trellis: let it spill over a rim or weave through perennials.
Clematis 'Evipo061'
Pale lavender-blue flowers from June to September on a 4.5-foot plant from the Boulevard series, made for a deck or patio container. Its breeder calls it superb in a shady position.
Clematis 'Adam's Courage'
A strong repeat bloomer: lavender and deep fuchsia early, then deep violet at each petal's center fading to lavender, June to September on a 5.5-foot vine. Hardy zones 4 to 7; the tallest of the three, it wants a larger patio container.
The earliest and the latest
The latest bloomer in the table, sweet autumn clematis, ends the season in clouds of small, fragrant white flowers, but this guide does not pick it: it seeds itself freely, and two extension services advise against planting it at all, one calling it an aggressive weed.
Clematis armandi 'Snowdrift'
The first to flower here: fragrant white stars from March to April against glossy evergreen leaves, for zones 7 to 9. At 21 feet it will screen a fence in a sheltered, sunny spot; Group 1, pruned after flowering if at all.
Head in the sun, feet in the shade
Clematis want sun on top and cool roots under mulch, a low plant or a flat stone. Set the big-flowered hybrids an inch or two deeper than they sat in the pot, so they can regrow from below if wilt strikes. And give climbers something thin to hold: they twine by their leaf stalks and cannot grip a thick post, as our flowering vines guide explains.
Why is my clematis not blooming?
Usually pruning or light. A hard winter cut takes the year's flowers from a Group 1 clematis and the first flush from a Group 2. Most clematis also need six hours of sun on the vine to flower well. Too much nitrogen and plain youth are the other suspects: a new plant can take up to three years to settle in.
When should I prune clematis?
By group. Trim Group 1 after flowering, if at all; trim Group 2 lightly in late winter, to the top pair of plump buds; cut Group 3 hard in late winter, to the lowest strong pair. Lost the label? The RHS rule of thumb: if it flowers before early summer, do not prune; from late June on, prune in late winter.
Does clematis need full sun?
On top, mostly; at the roots, no. Most flower best with six hours of sun on the vine and a root zone kept cool under mulch or a low plant. The part-shade rows in the table make do with less, and in hot, humid summers a little afternoon shade usually helps.
Why did my clematis suddenly wilt?
Rule out the soil first: dry or waterlogged soil wilts clematis too. If the soil is fine and a stem or the whole top collapses and blackens within days, suspect clematis wilt, a fungus that hits large-flowered hybrids hardest. Cut wilted stems back to healthy tissue, even to the ground, and throw them out; the roots often survive and resprout.
Sources for these facts
Every plant in this guide's table is source-checked, one plant at a time against published sources; each plant's own page names its sources and the facts each one carried. Every source behind their growing facts, with how many of these plants it covers:
- RHS8 plants
- Missouri Botanical Garden6 plants
- NC State Extension6 plants
- brushwoodnursery.com5 plants
- gardencrossings.com5 plants
- Plant Addicts5 plants
- Clemson Home and Garden Information Center3 plants
- donahuesclematis.com3 plants
- University of Illinois Extension3 plants
- Fine Gardening2 plants
- Oregon State University2 plants
- raymondevisonclematis.com2 plants
- US plant patent (Google Patents)2 plants
- American Meadows1 plant
- BBC Gardeners' World1 plant
- botanicalinterests.com1 plant
- campbellsnursery.com1 plant
- Chicago Botanic Garden1 plant
- clearviewhort.com1 plant
- clematisinternational.com1 plant
- cornellfarms.com1 plant
- dendro.cnre.vt.edu1 plant
- extension.colostate.edu1 plant
- extensionpubs.unl.edu1 plant
- fast-growing-trees.com1 plant
- gertens.com1 plant
- greenleafnursery.com1 plant
- grownbyoverdevest.com1 plant
- Holland Bulb Farms1 plant
- hummingbirdfarm.net1 plant
- jeffriesnurseries.com1 plant
- Native Plant Trust (Go Botany)1 plant
- old.clematis.com.pl1 plant
- patuxentnursery.com1 plant
- Perennial Resource (Walters Gardens)1 plant
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)1 plant
- Plant Delights Nursery1 plant
- plants.minorsgardencenter.com1 plant
- plants.rogersgardens.com1 plant
- plants.studleys.com1 plant
- plants.westonnurseries.com1 plant
- Pleasant Run Nursery1 plant
- pridescorner.com1 plant
- Purdue Arboretum1 plant
- romencegardens.com1 plant
- siteone.com1 plant
- Sooner Plant Farm1 plant
- The Morton Arboretum1 plant
What each level of checking covers: how plants are checked.
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