Clematis

This beautiful vining plant is often called the “Queen of the vines” for it’s beautiful blooms and climbing nature. The clematis has long been a popular vine for a variety of reasons. In modern times we love this plant because of its wide range of bloom color, the large blooms and it’s range of bloom times however in ancient times, the clematis was prized for very different reasons. Historically clematis were once used by Europeans to make fish traps, baskets and wicker while Africans use its dried roots as tinder to start fires and Roman beggars used to rub their hands with sap from this plant to form sympathy-evoking blisters. As you can guess this vine is native to a wide range of the world including North America, Europe, India, Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand depending on the species we are talking about. Worldwide there are about 300 species of clematis but only a few hybridized species are currently grown as ornamentals today.

These vines prefer full sun with afternoon shade in areas with hot summers and moist well drained soils. If possible mulch around the roots of clematis to keep the roots cool in the summer heat. Clematis blooms come in almost every color imaginable and range in size from an inch to seven inches depending on the variety. Many clematis bloom from spring through summer however there are a few varieties that bloom in the fall. Clematis are heavy feeders and will need a slow release fertilizer every four to six weeks through the growing season to keep them going. This vine has very few disease or insect issues and is relatively low maintenance with the exception of occasional pruning, watering and fertilizer. Before you prune your clematis first figure out whether it blooms on new growth or old growth and go from there. Be aware this plant is poisonous so keep pets or children from playing with or eating the vines, leaves and flowers.

Have questions? Contact our office where our Horticulture Extension Agent will assist you with questions.

Phone: (316) 321-9660

Email: callae@ksu.edu