No, it won't. Growing them up trees is commonly done in the UK and just catching on here. I'm deliberately planting them to grow up my crabapples.

For most types clematis, the answer is definitely no. They will adorn the tree with flowers when the tree is green with leaves. However some of the montanas would devour a smaller tree so unless you are talking about one of the montana varieties, you shouldn't have any issues.

Thank you so much for your replies. I think the flowers will be pretty in the tree.

Hi, most of my clematis grow through trees and shrubs. It is a great way to grow clematis. Here is a photo of my Hagley hybrid clematis growing through a small plum tree.

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That looks very nice!

Flowerfan, do you have a website with more pics? I'm especially interesting in how to get the Clemmie up the tree in the first place. I don't want to wrap the trunk with netting or use a stick.

Karen, thank you! The books all talk about it but the photos are all up close of the blooms.

And planting underneath a tree to grow up the trunk doesn't give it too much shade? I always thought it might be too shady for a clematis underneath a fruit tree?

I think they grow up and through the tree to find the sun.

So, if the sun faces away from your house, your neighbor will love you.

I was just worried that during the growing process, before they get tall enough to reach the sunnier areas, they wouldn't get enough sun. Until you get about halfway up the tree trunk, it is pretty shady. Would the clematis even grow with shade, to get tall enough to reach the sun?

It must be fine because many, many people do it. I've read about it in every Clematis book that I've managed to get my hands on. Maybe thin the tree if you are that worried.

Most of my clematis live on my 4 foot tall metal fence. I've sort of used up all the taller options and have had to get a bit creative, so I've worked out a way to spread them horizonitally along the fenceline.

I also have Clematis planted into a small Purple Sandcherry tree, a dwarf Crusader Hawthorn tree, a large Viburnum, and rather unexpectantly into two Physocarpus Diablo shrubs that are about 10 feet tall. I also have a clemmie in a large rambler rose New Dawn which has a woody base as large as a lot of trees.

I have used a couple of methods to get them into the trees or large shrubs. What I have found most effective is to pocket plant the clematis about 3 feet from the base of the tree or large shrub and then create a ramp to the host with those small plastic, metal or wood trellises that many vines come attached to. I can link several of these together with fine wire if needed. The ramp inclines slightly to the bottom branches of a low-branched shrub and a bit steeper to a tree trunk. Once the vine finds the host plant it takes care of the climbing part pretty much without my help, although I may tuck it in here and there. Shade from the trees does not seem a problem as the clemmies seem quite capable of finding their way to the sun. I usually grow hostas or lady's mantle at the base of the host tree/shrub and that tends to hide any rigging and shades the clemmie roots.

Issues: the Sandcherry is such a weak-limbed loose open grower that the clematis (Comtesse de Bouchard) drags down some of the limbs, but makes a very pretty color combo.

Both the viburnum and the Hawthorn are impervious to the clematis. It's kind of neat to see a viburnum sprout flowers in the summer, well after its own bloomtime. The Hawthorn is pretty stout & I've had people stare at it wondering...I have to explain that there is a clematis that is the blooming part. :!)

So far I have used only group 3s with live hosts and as Flowerfan does I only prune back to where the vine connects to the shrub/tree.

The clematis (Lady Betty Balfour) growing in TWO very large Diablos was a surprise. I planted her along my fence between the two (then quite small) shrubs and as they grew closer together she hopped up & over the fence and is now growing in both ninebarks. The new growth on the ninebarks is kind of floppy, so she's pulling those down just like Comtesse is doing to the Purple Sandcherry and again the color combo is quite lovely.

I've been watching this thread with interest because I've been growing clematis over several shrubs and trees in my yard for a while now, and I have had mixed success. I love the idea of growing them into living supports and I've had some real successes. I have Huldine and Rhapsody growing into a small crabapple and Julia Correvon and Betty Corning growing into a huge forsythia, extending the blooming time for both.
But, I also have a Gillian Blades growing on a juniper and a Ville De Lyon growing into a Mockorange, and in both cases, they seem to have killed the growth on the hosts where the clemmie leaves have shaded them. Next year, I'm going to get the Ville De Lyon off the mockorange and grow it on an obelisk in front of the shrub and see what happens. I don't know what I'm going to do about the juniper - I'm not sure it will rejuvenate itself where it's brown. I also killed a very young crabapple tree last year. I think it was mostly that I dug around its base too much, but the final blow may have been the Henryii I grew up it. In retrospect, it was too much clemmie for too little tree and probably shaded out too many leaves. I'm being much more careful of what I try to grow clemmies on now and trying to use the less vigorous ones. Your mileage may vary.

Funny Ophelia, I have several integrifolias growing over blue pacific juniper and they have not affected the juniper in any form or fashion.

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Alionushka in a red maple.

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Etoile Violette in a red bud in spring.
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Later in the season.
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I'll have to get some pictures later in the season.

Your pictures look so beautiful!
I am so disappointed - I have 6 mature trees around my newly purchased home and ALL of them are Maples! It seems impossible to grow Clematis near them :-(
Did anyone try to grow Clems on conifers? I just planted a couple of spruces. Do you think I can train Clems to climb on them? I have a very small yard, so I want to utilize every possible spot... Darn Maples consume half of the space :(

Hi Alina, I grow a lot of clematis through conifers. They do great. The evergreens have branches all the way to the ground and the clematis climb them without any help. Most of mine are growing on a long arborvitae hedge. I haven't had any problems with brown out of the branches with clematis or honeysuckle. The only vine that smothers the branches that I grow is golden hops. The golden leaves look so pretty against the dark green cedars, but the dense foliage does cause die back on the cedars. I usually grow viticella type clematis which are airy and let a lot of light in. Here are a few more photo's. Viola growing through a cedar hedge.

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Tangutica growing through a cedar hedge.
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I don't have a great camera, but you can get an idea. I would try it on your spruces. Are they blue spruces? Marmori would look great on a blue spruce. I have one growing on a fence near my neighbors blue spruce. Next year I am not going to cut it all back and let some of it grow through the blue spruce. I think the light pink would look so nice with the blue foliage. Karen

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Karen,
Thanks for the info and for the beautiful pictures!
I think I have Marmori, but I am not sure - I lost some labels during moving to the new home. I love the idea of Marmori and Blue Spruces! I have the bluest ones: 'Hoopsii' and 'Fat Albert'.
Thanks again,
Alina.

Dang, I can't see the picturess. All I get is Photobucket's home page....

Hi buyorsell888, I am new to this photobucket stuff. I rearranged my clematis photo's in photobucket to a sub catagory of only clematis. That must have messed up the photo's. You can go to the link below and see the photo's. I also took some photo's of just vines growing at the base of the tree so you can see how they were planted. I hope this works. Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: flowerfan2 clematis photos on photobucket

Yep, if you move the pictures in your Photobucket account around, all previous links are destroyed.

Yes, that works but I don't have time right now to look. Thank you. Where in WA are you? Close to Portland? I'm offering to host a Potluck on the Northwestern Gardening forum. Love to have you come tell me how to squeeze in more Clemmies. Just glanced at your page but love what you are doing.....

Well I was messing around again with clematis photos on photobucket again. I see now Marmori is posted under tangutica growing on a cedar hedge. Boy I have a lot to learn! The link(flowerfan2 clematis photo) does work though and there are lots of clem photo's there. I have only been doing this a couple of weeks so I am learning! Buyorsell888 I would love to see your clematis but will be out of town on the week-ends that you have listed.
Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: flowerfan2 clematis photos

It seems that everyone is out of town or busy on the weekends I have listed so I've listed additional weekends.

My Clems are mostly babies and aren't spectacular.

I read all the comments, but mo one has mentioned growing a Clemmy up the trumk of a young oak tree.. i have a purple and a lavender at the base and theyre climbing like crazy! one is already 7 feet tall. hasn’t reached the leaves or limbs yet. am i ok to let it go-or should i prune it?