Having lost my earlier databases & pictures due to changing computers a few times, I can't remember the exact year, but I do remember that macropetala Markham's Pink was the first clem to ever survive for me. I think I got it in 99 and it's been going strong ever since. Budded now.

I had to cut off one of the woody stems pretty low to remove the original trellis, which it had outgrown a long time ago, to use in a different place this Spring, but the existing vines don't seem to have suffered. It was a tangled mess anyway, with Goldflame honeysuckle growing on the same upended wrought iron fence section that I use for a trellis.

Goldflame doesn't seem to be visable in this picture from 05, the latest I have. The vines to the left of the fence are from the stem I just cut.

As there were some buds starting, I put the cut ends in water, and a few days later trimmed them down to start the bubbler cutting experiment. I don't think I will have much success with such old vines, but it is worth a try.

Marie in ME

Here is a link that might be useful: MP in 05

Six years old--Pupurea Plena Elegans and Julia Correvon.

I think it's five years for Will Goodwin.

I can't pinpoint the year but I planted Haku Okan sometime in the 80's. It's starting to decline now so have a rooted cutting to replace it. Haku Okan is one of my favorites.

A......

My grandpa (88) has a clematis that his mother planted when he was a young boy. No idea of the variety, but it is still a beautiful show every summer. He transplanted it to his home in the city about 30 years ago, from the farm he grew up on.

It would be so nice to have a part of family history, no matter what the cultivar. Do you think he would let you layer a stem or two, or would it grow too big for your present garden?

My grandfather was nuts about dahlias, but they really don't interest me.

Marie in ME

I planted a Jackmanii and The President in 1995 or 1996 at our present home. The President still isn't much of a clematis and Jackmannii, being Jackmanii, is big and lush & covered in blooms every year without any fertilizer.

The rest of my 20 or so clemmies were planted in 2003 or later.

Sweet Autumn Clematis...planted in 2001. It died to the ground this year after putting on almost 2 feet of new growth before that freeze snap hit in early April.

It had 1 1/2 - 2 inch diameter stems last year, this year it will likely be restrained (which actually is a good thing...maybe I can get enough growth on the Kiwi that I'll get flowers next year!)

My next oldest one is one year younger and has never bloomed (well its tried, but the squirrels have eaten every bud...I think its a nelly Moser (Smelly-hoser as we call it) but I'm not sure (that was before I was taking careful planting notes.

~Chills

Thanks Marie in ME.

Forgive my ignorance. What do you mean by layer a stem? I was recently thinking about propagating it from a cutting. Is that the same thing?

Yes, I would love to grow his clematis in my garden too. I already have a piece of one of his old hostas as well!

Thanks! Jodi

To layer a clem, you bring a stem down to the ground as horizontal as you can. You can make a partial cut into the stem near a leaf node and put some rooting hormone powder on the cut. Then you bury that place about an inch or so and peg it down with a bent paper clip on either side of the cut. If the stem is long enough you can do this several times. The end of the stem should stick out of the ground, or a flowerpot if you prefer.Keep the area moist. The stem stays connected to the mother plant until good roots form where you made the partial cut. Then you can sever the newly rooted plant(s) from the o. This should prevent the drying out of the leaves that happens often when a piece of the stem is cut off to propigate by a cutting. I may take several months for roots to form to a sufficient size.
I may not have explained this completely correct, so someone with more knowledge please add to this.

Marie in ME

Thanks Marie!

Jodi

When I was a child, I helped my mother plant a couple on the side of her house. There is only one left now, I think it is Jackmannii, it has to be almost 15 years old now, or older. it comes back every year, and blooms, but not as well as it used to. But anyway its still there and it still blooms. Id say its pretty old.

I don't know exactly, more than 5 years, less than 10. Closer to 10.

wow, i'd love to see what a 10, 15, even 20 year old clematis looks like.. (imagining really thick old woody stems)..

i guess the usual thing that happens is that you move, leaving your clematis collection behind you to new homeowners or something. i've been watching my neighbor's (now) 8 year old clematis vines wither under the (improper) care of the new homeowners. very sad thing to watch.