Plant Name

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Clematis flammula'

Flammula Group

(Syn.
Clematis recta subsp flammula )

Flammula is a Latin word meaning a little flame or banner. Common name is Fragrant Virgin's Bower.

Grow in a Pot

No

Soil

Humus-rich Sand with Chalk

Sun Aspect

Full Sun with Any Aspect (Flowers fade in Full Sun) or Part Shade

Soil Moisture

Dry

Plant Type

Deciduous Climber

Height x Spread in feet

20 x 3

Foliage

Bright Green

Flower Colour in Month(s). Fruit

"Small, scented, pure white or creamy, star-shaped flowers borne in large clumps. Pale yellow or cream anthers in July-October followed by silky seed heads" from Clematis on the Web. The scent is perceptible from a good distance.

Comment

Fragrant and completely hardy aand can be used on walls, trellis-work, arches, on bushes and trees. It looks best on trees, which is how it grows in the wild.

"Clematis flammula is a Mediterranean species famous for its masses of white scented flowers July to September. Although it can be hard pruned I find it best to wait for spring before doing so in order that you can see where the new growth is coming from, the mass of dead flowering growth can be removed in Autumn/Winter for tidiness, vigorous in growth it can reach 6M but to flower well it needs sun. It can be a short lived plant if grown in rich good soil with good water supply so treat it mean once established" from Roseland House. The lower parts of the stem are bare, so a lavender in front of it would be suitable to hide this bareness.

Normally the foliage should be in Part Shade while the roots are kept cool in the shade and moist.

"All Clematis need a deep rich loam and they like lime. On thin soils, calcareous types included, they are a failure. Heavy clay is excellent if it is broken up and mixed with weathered ashes and leafmould. Dig the soil deeply and add plenty of old, well-rotted cow manure. The best time for planting is September and October, the preparation of the soil being done in the spring. The following March cut them back drastically to a bud witin 6 inches (15cm) of the base. This initial treatment of all types of Clematis encourages strong, healthy growth. Similarly, pinching out the tips of too vigorous shoots encourages them to branch and flower, but it should not be done later than June." from Climbing Plants and Some Wall Shrubs by Douglas Bartrum (Published by The Garden Book Club in 1968).

Plant the top of the rootball about 3" below the soil surface to reduce risk of clematis wilt, and water well.

Climbing Cultivation Group:-

Group 3 Late Season, large-flowered Clematis. This group includes cultivars that bear large flowers from summer to early autumn, cultivars that bear small flowers from summer to late autumn, and herbaceous midsummer to late autumn-blooming species and cultivars. Hard Prune - Cut back all the previous year's stems to a pair of strong buds, 0.5 feet above soil level before growth begins in early spring. Grow to clothe a wall, arbour, trellis or pergola.

Available from Coblands Nurseries Ltd .