He says clem-AT-is; she says CLEM-a-tis.
For the record, it’s the latter, but however it’s pronounced, these flowering vines spell breathtaking beauty.
The Sunset Western Garden Guide puts it succinctly: “Flowers are attractive in all kinds, spectacular in many.”
Like poinsettias, clematis actually produce small, inconspicuous flowers, but the pointed, petal-like stamens often are mistaken for blooms. These spectacular pseudo-flowers typically measure 4-6 inches wide, but some stretch almost a foot across.
With 250-plus species, clematis create veils of purple, red, blue, white, pink, apricot and bicolors. There’s a hybrid double with a roselike blossom and even one named Jan Powell II, for the late pope, developed in Poland by an elderly Jesuit monk.
When flowering, clematis (from the Greek “klema,” meaning “a twig”) resemble more persnickety tropical plants. Despite these hothouse good looks, the woody vines don’t require much mollycoddling.
“Clematis do wonderfully here,” said Frances Shure of Frances Shure Designs Inc., a Denver landscape firm. “Clematis need alkaline soil, which we have here, so that makes them nice plants for this area.”
The perennial and deciduous vines prefer loose, rich, fast-draining soil and regular moisture.
“They do need water. They’re not drought tolerant,” said Shure.
There’s a well-known saying about growing clematis: Flowers in the sun, feet in the shade. Planting clematis along an east-facing fence allows it to bask in gentle sun all morning, then cool off in the afternoon shade.
Clematis climb more exuberantly when able to wrap their tendrils around a surface with a small circumference. To encourage the vines to scramble up a trellis, arbor or fence, mount plastic-coated wire mesh from a hardware store. The clematis tendrils can easily grasp the mesh, and the plastic coating prevents the wire from heating up too much during Colorado’s scorching summer days.
“Clematis will not tolerate hot surfaces,” Shure notes.
To help keep the roots of clematis cool, opt for one of several solutions: Plant ground cover, annuals or perennials near the base of the vine; add a skirting of mulch; or place a flat rock over the soil on top of the vine’s roots.
First-season vines channel their energy toward building a root system. Once established, vines bloom profusely if soil is amended every other year with a high-quality compost.
Even after clematis blooms have peaked, the plants retain their flair through their seedheads – silvery spheres with curled tails, attractive in their own right and perhaps the source of one of the plant’s common names – old man’s beard.
