Winter clematis

Sun

Full sun or partial shade; a sunny, sheltered position gives the most reliable winter flowering in cool climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Keep the root zone moist but well drained during active growth; avoid persistently wet soil, especially during summer dormancy.

Soil

Fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil; neutral to alkaline soil is suitable. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Height

10-13 ft (3-4 m)

Spread

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Flowers

Autumn to early spring, depending on climate and selection; nodding cream or pale yellow bells, sometimes spotted or flushed reddish purple inside.

Foliage

Green, divided leaves with toothed or lobed leaflets. Usually evergreen, but may lose leaves in cold weather or become dormant during hot, dry summers.

Growth

Moderate to fast once established.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   2 ft (0.6 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.98 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Fast

• Provide trellis, wires or thin branches that the climbing leaf stalks can grip; tie in young shoots loosely.
• Water deeply during the first growing season and during extended dry spells thereafter.
• Mulch the root area with compost in spring, keeping mulch away from the stems.
• Apply a balanced fertiliser in spring if growth is weak or the soil is poor.
• Keep the roots cool with mulch or low planting, and shelter the upper growth from cold, drying winds.
• If it sheds leaves during summer heat, check the stems before assuming it has died; do not compensate by soaking dormant roots.

Pruning. Pruning group 1: prune only as needed immediately after flowering, removing dead or damaged stems and shortening overlong shoots. Avoid routine hard pruning, as flowers develop on established growth.

Spring

After flowering finishes, remove dead growth and shorten stems that have outgrown their support.

Spring

Mulch the roots and apply a balanced fertiliser if needed.

Summer

Check soil moisture during dry weather; reduce watering if the plant enters summer dormancy.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Secure loose stems before strong winds and check that winter drainage is clear.

Winter

Enjoy the flowers and protect young plants with horticultural fleece during unusually severe frost.

• Train against a sheltered wall near a window so winter flowers can be seen from indoors.
• Grow over an arch beside a regularly used path, with enough clearance to view the hanging bells.
• Combine with hellebores and snowdrops for a layered winter-flowering display.
• Train through a sturdy, open-branched shrub to soften its outline without covering it completely.

Garden styles it suits: Winter interest, Cottage garden, English country, Mediterranean, Secret garden and White garden.

Plant it with: Hellebores, Snowdrops, Cyclamen, Sweet box, Winter-flowering heather and Christmas box.

Wildlife: The flowers can provide pollen and nectar for bees active during mild winter weather. Dense established growth may offer shelter for small birds.

• Frost and cold winds can scorch leaves and kill flower buds: choose a sheltered site and protect young plants during severe cold.
• Waterlogged soil can cause root rot and collapse: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised planting area.
• Aphids may cluster on young shoots: wash them off with water and encourage natural predators.
• Slugs and snails can damage fresh shoots: inspect new growth and use barriers, hand-picking or an appropriate iron phosphate bait.

All parts are toxic if chewed or eaten by people, cats, dogs and horses. Fresh sap can irritate skin, and ingestion can cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea; serious poisoning is uncommon, but seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion. Wear gloves when pruning.

• Armand's clematis (Clematis armandii)

  Has long, leathery leaflets and clusters of open, star-shaped white flowers in spring, rather than the divided leaves and hanging bells of winter clematis.

• Evergreen winter-flowering clematis (Clematis urophylla)

  Also bears cream winter bells, but its leaflets are generally larger, leathery and less deeply divided; winter clematis usually has more finely cut or toothed foliage.

Clematis comes from the Greek for a climbing shoot, while cirrhosa means tendrilled, referring to the leaf stalks that curl around supports.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or layer a flexible stem into nearby soil. Seed can be slow and irregular to germinate, and seedlings from named cultivars may not resemble the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Clematis cirrhosa

Native range

Algeria, Baleares, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Morocco and Palestine.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 475 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.