Extremely generous with blooms. First blooms are much larger than later ones. I cut mine back hard last year and it has rebounded and flowered more than ever.
This is such an amazing clematis. It has been blooming all summer, nonstop, even in the tough drought conditions we had this summer. It's still blooming November 9th and even has some new buds. It will be interesting to see the date of the last bloom for this year.
It was given very little water through the months of July, August, and September, when we had no rain. The roots were shaded and seem to hold enough moisture to keep the vine happy.
This is a US native vine that can grow in sunny or part sun locations. For the plant to go to seed, you need both male and female plants. This is what I consider the plant's glory, those amazing seed heads! We have eight of these in hopes there will be at least one of each gender. This we will find out the first time they flower.
We dug up an alien clematis to make room for one pair. Two were put in as dormant roots last fall; one did not make it. I ordered seven more plants. Most are in part shade, but a couple are along a fence line that gets sun all day. They started out slow this spring, but then they really took off as the season progressed.
Unlike alien Clematis, which the rabbits have eaten down to the ground, this is poisonous to mammals. I really do not like having to chicken wire plants to keep the rabbits out. The only feeders so far, are whatever insects nibble on leaves and there is no heavy infestation.
Edited to add: How can I forget the other common names I appreciate more than these listed on this page? Old Man's Beard (Admittedly, which is used for other plants as well.) and Prairie Smoke on a Rope.
By chelle (N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b, and Florida - Zone 9b - Zone 9b) on Jun 21, 2015 9:08 PM concerning plant: Clematis Sapphire Indigo™
This clematis was by far one of the best impulse buys I ever made. I planted it almost as an afterthought, thinking a bush-type clematis wouldn't be one of my favorites. I was wrong. It truly is an amazing plant! In just its second year it has produced more blooms than I'd have time to count, and has been my longest blooming clematis to date.
This beautiful clematis blooms in the early spring on old wood and is completely covered with bloom from bottom to top. If needed. it can be trimmed right after it finishes blooming so it has a chance to make blooms for the next year.
This delicate, small, bell-shaped, blue bush clematis blooms in the early spring and has a short bloom period. Even with the short bloom period, it is so pretty while it is blooming and the leaves are attractive enough even when not in bloom, so it is well worth growing. It is well suited for a rock garden.
The book "How to Know the Wildflowers" (1922) by Mrs William Starr Dana gives the common names of "Traveller's Joy" and "Virgin's Bower". The author states that the plant blooms in July and August, while "later in the year the seeds with their silvery plumes give a feathery effect." She also makes note of experiments Darwin conducted with Clematis. Whether she is referring to this particular species or the whole genus is unknown, but she lists it under this species. Anyway, she states that Darwin was conducting experiments regarding the movements of the young shoots of the plant. He discovered that "one revolved, describing a broad oval, in five hours, thirty minutes; and another in six hours, twelve minutes; they follow the course of the sun."
This clematis produces quite large sky-blue blossoms. They may appear to be single blossoms when they initially open, but they then continue to open over a long period of time, until the same bloom is nearly a pom-pom. You may also experience double blooms on the first flush of blooms, and then later a second set of blooms that remain single.
This clematis took a bit longer to get established than some, growing slowly and only producing a few blooms the first couple of years. They appreciate some shade at their base (head in the sun, feet in the shade), if you can plant a low clumping plant at the base.
This is a really spectacular clematis, and well worth the patience it takes to reach that first year of really heavy bloom!
This clematis is a strong grower, and will reach full size in only a couple of years. If pruned hard in very early spring, it will be covered in pink blossoms in late spring. Dead-heading after blooming may bring about a second flush of blooms in the fall.
As clematises go, Nelly Moser might be considered a classic. It is widely grown and has been so for a number of years. When well grown, it blooms heavily in the spring and reblooms later with fewer blossoms. Unfortunately, the flowers fade quickly, but it is still very attractive. It can be pruned moderately in early spring and lightly after spring bloom.
Very pretty little blooms, but not a real vigorous plant for me here in zone 4. Took quite a few years for it to get established, but worth the wait because the flowers are unique. The colors really are bright and don't fade even though my plant is in full sun all day.
One of my first clematises and still my favorite, it's always loaded with big blooms. The flowers show many unique characteristics in shape, shading, singles, doubles, colored tips, etc. I recently added another to my collection because of its superior performance.
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