The ABCs of Clematis
This long-lived perennials can seem fussy, but a few tips will help tame it.
Let’s talk about clematis (kle-MA-tis); or maybe you’d rather discuss clematis (KLEM-a-tis)—it’s complicated, right? Career nurseryman and longtime Great Plants Picks advisor, Alex LaVilla is here to help us crack the clematis code.
Before we get into the vagaries of classification, pruning, and other tangled directives, LaVilla advises gardeners looking to grow clematis to think like nature. “It’s a vine,” he says. “It’s meant to grow in companionship with other plants.” Which is how LaVilla cultivates the many clematis he tends in his typically sized, passionately planted back garden.
Clematis are long-lived perennial vines that scamper, climb, drape and tumble. The plant family is vast, but I’ll stick to varieties found at your local nursery or mail order specialist. LaVilla credits clematis expert Maurice Horn, co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery and fellow GPP advisor, with much of his success with clematis.
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