"Natty Dread" wrote in message
news
I've seen photos of huge clematis plants growing in rope-like vines along
fences, porch railings, etc. I'd like to train a clematis to grow on the
fence along one side of my yard that's in desperate need of some plant
life. I think it might be a good spot for a clematis because the area gets
full sun all day, but if I plant it on the northern side of the fence the
roots will stay cool (heads in the sun, roots in the shade, as they say).
My question is about the hardiness of clematis in my area. I'm in
Richmond, VA, which is USDA Zone 7 -- do clematis die back to the ground
here, or would I actually be able to grow a clematis vine to a length of
20 or 30 feet in my area? If so, what type of clematis would be best? (I
saw the thread on evergreen clematis and read Paghat's Web site on that,
but she said the evergreens are best grown in zones 8 or 9.)

Any advice welcome. Thanks!

Rhonda
Richmond, VA
USDA Zone 7

I'm in zone 5 (upstate NY). My clematis (see link below) behaves like a
tree, meaning all leaves are killed by frost each year. But, it does NOT die
to the ground. The woody stems remain, and new leaves grow each spring. In
some years, there's a little frost damage to stem tips, but never enough to
make a noticeable difference.

I'm no expert on these plants - I just follow the instructions given to me
by the local grower I bought from many years ago. He told us we could either
prune the plant (all the way to the ground, or not that far), or just leave
it alone. I really depends on the effect you want. In your case, you'd just
leave it alone, other than making attempts at "training" the plant. In fact,
clematis plants usually train YOU to leave them alone while they take over
completely, which is when they look their best.

Clematis x jackmanii
http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp...&OfferCode=S3H