help me choose my first clematis?

19 years ago

Would like long bloom season with vigorous growth....husband works at local big box and says new shipment of clematis looks good. My choices: Etoile Violette, Polish Spirit, General Vikorski, Ville de Lyon, Niobe and Multi-blue. This will be on a trellis by our patio which faces east... I am leaning towards etoile violette and polish spirit. The wilt resistance in etoile violette is calling me... In the past I have tried Niobe, but it was facing west and didn't do well at all. If I could get my hands on one I am also considering arctic white?? Any thoughts? I laughed when I started this post. My first of many clematis, I bet.

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Comments (9)

janetpetiole
19 years ago
I vote for Etoile Violette, and start looking around for other places to plant clematis. One is definately not enough.
clc08
19 years ago
Well, DH brought home 2 Presidents at my request...I liked the way they looked...but I can have him return them and make exchange..or keep them and have him get 3 more! That's probably a better idea. :)
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nckvilledudes
19 years ago
Either Polish Spirit or Etoile Violette, both viticellas and resistant to wilt, would work. Just depends on which of the two you like the looks of more. Personally I like the purple anthers on Polish Spirit.
jeanne_texas
19 years ago
I like those choices too..but "Ville de Lyon" is an awesome pruning group 3...Jeanne
coloradobird
19 years ago
I don't know much about clematis, but when I was looking last year, I came across the website below, which has lists of clematis recommended for beginners. It's broken down by:
Early Small Flowered Clematis
Early Large Flowered Clematis
Late Small Flowered Clematis
Late Large Flowered Clematis

When you go to the site, the lists are in the upper left corner (you have to click on each separately).

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis for beginners
gladahmae
19 years ago
Although we really neglected our little clems for their first year, they are slowly reappearing. We had a Polish Spirit, Dr Rupple, Ernest Markham, and one we lost the ID card for (HF Young maybe? we're hoping for blooms!) So far the Polish Spirit is doing the best by FAR. Bunnies ate it off 3 times already this spring, but it keeps popping back up! It seems that by having a hard prune (group 3s) that the fear of pruning is removed since you HAVE to prune! =)
kkborre
19 years ago
Polish Spirit is my vote. Very vigorous; I've never had a wilt problem with it. I also have President, and love the color. And, I have a mature Etoile Violette, but have had some wilt problems with that one. Definitely do not return them; have DH buy more!
mledwards
19 years ago
Polish spirit is my vote.

The pictures are after three years.

http://home.earthlink.net/~mledwards/polish_spirit.htm
cziga
19 years ago
Polish Spirit is a nice Viticella, very hardy, vigorous and supposed to be disease resistant.

My favourite Clematis in my garden however is "Niobe". A slightly more compact Clematis (4-6 ft) but an absolutely beautiful dark red colour. Niobe had a really slow first year for me, did almost nothing and no new growth. Died back to the ground in the winter and I thought she was a goner. This spring though, i fertilized with a bit of tomato food (tip I got on the GardenWeb forums) and she's come back, is growing upwards and vining beautifully. She looks really healthy and happy this summer, so I think maybe this Clematis just needs a bit of time and some patience (and maybe tomato food) to get going!

Polish Spirit is a purple, so it also depends on what colour scheme is going to work best for you.