Friends in England taunt me with these during what I call WINTER!

I live in the PNW in zone 8 and planted one 2 years ago in the ground in a sunny location. My plant growth has been very slow and mine also goes dormant in summer and loses it's leaves. It has about a dozen buds that are starting to open now. I am just going to give it more time. I am hoping in another year or two it will develope a bigger root system and start to take off. It really has not been a vigorous variety for me. Maybe it needs more heat than our cool PNW climate can supply. I am in a wait and see mode for this one. It is nice though to see something blooming this time of year. That is always a plus. Karen

Thanks for your input Karen. I was once told that these clematis are sort of like Perle d'Azur in that they take a little longer to establish than some of the other clematis so give yours a little more time and I think it will perform admirably. I would think they would like the weather in the PNW since you probably don't get as hot and humid as we do in my area during the summer months. Also, as Marie says, they grow and flower quite prolifically in England around and after Christmas. I remember Ian posting a picture once of a cirrhosa in full flower outside a window in his house in the winter time. They can get a little confused due to weird weather however since the first year I got mine was in the spring and it was in flower when I got it and continued on for several months. I agree with you Karen that it is nice to have something in bloom at this time of the year, although this year it has been so warm that I have a witch hazel and lonicera purpussi that are beginning to bloom. Perhaps one day I will get another variety of cirrhosa and plant it in the ground to see if I can get better results that way than trying to grow it in a pot.

I do have several, two are in the ground. I plant them near the front door of my place so I can enjoy the winter blooms. They did stay small in the pots but grew rapidly in the ground. In one year my balearica var balearica grew over eight feet. My Wisley Cream is actually growing in a rather small, long wooden container and it got over 10 feet high. I am going to transplant it this year into a bigger bed.

Like Miquel says, they do brown out over the summer but they are well worth is during the winter months. I am now experimenting with growing viticella Julia Correvon in the balearica to give it summer bloom. Yeah, I know the viticella will be hard to prune out of the balearica in the fall but I'll try anything like this at least once. I don't mind the pruning.

I love the creamy warmth of these beauties. There is a red version called Landsdowne Gem but I have not been able to find it in the USA. I posted pictures in the gallery.

Katie

Hey Katie, thanks for chiming in here. Your photos are great. Perhaps one day you will find Landsdowne Gem. Have you considered growing the straight species? I think that Plant Delights has it on their website. To me it reminds me of your Wisley Cream!

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis cirrhosa

Hey nckvilledudes,
I noticed that you have lots of knowledge with high heat clematis growing...I like the look of this freckles for Dallas but was also considering the Clematis My Angel from the Tangutica family...which would you recommend for zone 8 heat in Alkaline soil? I'm going to get it from Brushwood Nursery. Any info would be great!

I do not grow it but it's my understanding that My Angel can be invasive and the seeds tend to sprout lots of babys on the ground. On the other hand I understand it is quite hardy. Two others that do very well in my summer heat is Jackmanii and Paul Farges.

Katie

Dallasgarden, my heat here is probably nothing like your heat in Texas (spent a month there last year training at the Dell facility in Roundrock). The only thing that I can tell you about my experience with My Angel is that it suckers and sends runners everywhere. I had it and removed it from my garden as a result. I don't guess it should surprise me since it is in the tangutica group and I had similar results with Helios. I do know that some growing this clematis in cooler climates don't seem to have the problems I do with it wanting to spread via runners in their garden. It is a rather nice looking clematis that did flower for me for quite a long while even as a young plant. Helios was similarly vigorous for me as a young plant and had a nice coconut fragrance! I couldn't put up with their overexuberance in terms of running around the garden.

nckvilledudes,
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait for your answer and already placed an order for the My Angel (loved the color of the bloom) and the Clematis Texensis... I will consider your experience in placement...I'll try to put it somewhere with a natural barrier like next to my pond or in a pot... and maybe the Texas heat will just keep it in check.

Dallasgardener, perhaps the heat will keep it in check. Planting it in a contained area like soil surrounded by cement should also help. I agree that the flower coloration is very pretty. Let us know how it does.

I just ran across a photo and description of this plant in the Reader's Digest "Gardening for all Seasons", so was looking for some additional information (Thanks, everyone!) That particular book recommends planting this clematis in a site where the top is in sun and the roots are in shade, similar to what is often recommended for lilies. For example, it could be planted on the north side of another plant (something shorter) to provide shade for the roots, especially in summer. Maybe that would help some of your plants that are struggling? Just a suggestion . . . . I obviously haven't tried it myself.

Boisemom,

Your growing zone may be a little cold for this one. It is listed on the Hull database as growing in Zone 7, 8 and 9. A real good freeze could wipe this one out.

Katie

Here is a link that might be useful: Link on Freckles

Katie, Boise has recently been officially 'upgraded' to a zone 7, and I do have some sheltered spots in my yard, so I am tempted to give it a try, although you are right . . . a really good cold winter would probably wipe it out! I see that Joy Creek has four different varieties listed this year, including 'Wisley Cream,' 'Freckles,' c. balearica, and one called 'Ourika Valley' that looks stunning. So, if anyone is looking, that is a source . . . they are a really reliable company, although considering shipping costs makes it best for use by those of us west of the Mississippi.

I just stumbled on the winter clematis at Plant Delights and was wondering how it has worked out for those of you who wrote in about it last yr. I liked the look of it and was thinking about giving it a try. Brandy

Brandy, mine was planted in a pot up against a brick wall of my house since I originally thought it was only marginally hardy in my zone based on my reading on the plant. I have since learned through my own experience and that of others that it is much hardier. Don't know if you saw it but someone just recently posted about growing one in zone 4 I believe and having it overwinter for them.

Mine suffers terribly because it is in a pot. I think it would do much better in the ground so the temperature swings wouldn't be so great. In midsummer, mine looks really ratty with much browning out of the leaves. It is supposed to bloom in the winter but more typically in England where the winters are milder. Mine typically flowers twice a season--once in the spring and then again in late fall. If I had the room, I would plant another one in the ground to see how much better it might do. One thing to consider is that the flowers are pendulous so it needs to be grown up something versus flat on the ground to truly appreciate the flowers.

I thought I'd jump in and tell you about my 'Freckles' I've had mine for a long time and it has come through a couple of quite cold winters with flying colors. Mine is planted on the side of a lattice walled room we built around our little Koi pool. This room also has a fiberglass roof.
Freckles, has grown through and around the lattice walls and now is spreading itself over the roof beams and under the fiberglass roof. It still is producing a few blooms and a few of the leaves are turning yellow but still looks attractive with bits of vine dangling from the roof beams. This clematis blooms all winter and as parts of it are overhead it shows off its flowers nicely.

A......

I am jealous aftermidnight. Mine normally get bitten back by frost and just sits there all winter. To live in a more moderate climate where this one would flourish would be great. Have seen pictures of it in bloom in England at Christmas time, and the blooms were just spectacular.

I've seen it for sale here but I'm afraid it gets too big for my tiny crammed yard. :(