As a guide to correct planting and pruning, they are grouped here according to time of bloom and whether they flower on new or old wood.
Species flowering in spring and early summer, on old wood, and pruned in early spring (March). Additional pruning only to thin, shape, and preserve the desired framework.
Clematis alpina – Alpine clematis, one of the earliest, with three-inch blue-violet flowers.
Clematis armandii – Armand or evergreen clematis, only moderately hardy. Masses of two-inch white star-flowers in spring.
Clematis chrysocoma – Hairy clematis, new leaves covered with golden-brown fur; clusters of two-inch white or pinkish flowers.
Clematis Florida – Cream clematis, semi-evergreen in mild areas; four-inch flowers white with green and purple markings.
Clematis macropetala – Downy or big-petal clematis, with soft-fuzzy, nodding, blue-violet flowers.
Clematis montana – Anemone clematis, not reliably hardy in New York; the variety rubens, with yellow-stamened pink flowers and bronzy-purple leaves has been grown successfully in Maine. Other varieties include alba, bountiful white star-flowers with golden stamens; and one usually listed as rosea ‘Apple Blossom,’ which may be a variety or hybrid of armandi. The soft, mauve-pink variety, undulata, is also probably a hybrid.
Clematis patens – Lilac clematis, southern native, with six-inch violet to white flowers.
Species flowering in late summer and fall, on new wood, pruned in late winter (February), and cut back severely. Trim plants to five live buds, or to living wood, or to the ground if winter-killed.
Clematis apiifolia – October clematis, a beautiful ground or bank cover with white flowers.
Clematis drummondi – Drummond clematis, native of Texas and Arizona. Soft-hairy leaves and white flowers.
Clematis flammula – Plume clematis, hardy to Virginia. Airy clusters of fragrant white flowers.
Clematis languinosa – Woolly-leaved or Ningpo clematis, with fuzzy foliage and large white flowers. White flowers of the variety candida have orchid shading on the margins.
Clematis orientalis – Oriental clematis, with clusters of two-inch yellow flowers.
Clematis paniculata – Sweet-scented autumn clematis, semievergreen in the South, grown successfully in Maine. Lovely ground cover with clusters of small white flowers followed by silky seed pods.
Clematis recta – Ground clematis, more or less shrubby, with panicles of fragrant white flowers.
Clematis tangutica – Golden clematis, flowers early with small golden bells, followed by silvery seed pods. The variety obtusiuscula has yellow flowers like a dangling tulip, will accept shade, and is hardy in Massachusetts.
Clematis vitalba – Old man’s beard, traveler’s joy. Hardy, native ground cover with inch-wide, fragrant white clematis flowers.
Clematis viticella – Italian clematis. Small clusters of rose-purple flowers with yellow stamens. Seeds may self-sow. Flowers of the variety kermesina, Kermes clematis, are wine red.
Some species may or may not be herbaceous, depending on climate and cultural conditions. When they die back, they grow up in spring from a woody rootstock and flower in summer or later. Where growth is not winter-killed, prune to living wood in March.
Clematis crispa – Marsh or curly clematis is a Southern native but has been grown with care in Maine. It bears slim, nodding, blue-purple flowers in midsummer.
Clematis jusca – Stanavoi clematis, with dangling violet pitcher-shaped flowers and brown-hairy leaves.
Clematis texensis – Scarlet clematis, may be listed as coccinea. It is easy to grow, and hardy to Maine. Flowers are like nodding scarlet urns, one inch long.
Clematis viorna – I.eather flower, native from Pennsylvania on down to Alabama. Dangling purple bell-shaped flowers in July.
Clematis virginiana – Virgin’s bower, grows wild at the roadside as far as Canada. Good ground cover, with clusters of white flowers. Sows its own ripe seeds.
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