hi bluehaven, I was able to find clematis at menards, lowes, home depot, and walmart last year. I do know that it varies significantly by location, same with DA roses @ whole foods!

I feel like people will still have to do some traveling if they check these locations, but I tend to call before if I'm only looking for one thing, like clematis. I usually end up making trips because you just never know what you'll find! :)

Michaela

In all honesty, I no longer buy clematis from the big box stores since I can usually find better quality plants for similar prices if I shop carefully on line or at end of season sales in my local nurseries. I have had great success with clematis from Brushwood (gift cert. 20% off in December plus a sale in January) and with sale clematis from Bluestone (which are tiny but IME grow well since they have good root systems.) Both nurseries will combine orders, so if you buy several plants at different sales, they will combine to reduce shipping costs if you give them the order numbers and request combining the orders. Most nurseries will also tell you in their shipping info how many plants fit per box and if you maximize the plants per box this reduces the shipping price per plant. Your experience may be different, but in my area the big box stores' clematis are usually limited to a few varieties of type 2 pruning clematis which are often fussier to grow, not much of a price deal or more expensive, and often in tough condition. YMMV

Thank you. I don't think I can wait for the sale. I want to grow one for this season. The one I want to get clematis rosemoor is available from both bluestone & brushwood. Who would you buy it from. Please advice.

Blue where are you at? I would check menards right at the beginning of the summer. Our menards had several dozen for $5. Also check Lowes. I got a Blue Light Clematis from Lowes last summer and if the rabbits hadn't chomped it down to the ground 3 or 4 times it would have been several feet tall in just one summer. It even bloomed again after being devoured by the cute little chompers multiple times. I have it protected now & hopefully will be able to take off this summer.

The clematis I got from walmart didn't do much, but it was only a few dollars and I put it in a spot I wasn't worried about filling right away.

Hope that helps a little bit :)

I am in Houston, no menards here. I'll check Lowes. I was trying to find out around what time of the year I can find them in stores. Some earlier posts had suggested that people found clematis in walmart even in February. I didn't want to go just to check for these & ending up buying lots of other plants. So if people posted here if they happen to see it in their stores it'll be helpful.

Both Bluestone and Brushwood will send notices of when they have a sale if you get on their email list or like them on Facebook. Brushwood gives better value for the money, I think. The plants are in quart pots, while Bluestone's are in pots about half that size, but when Bluestone has clematis on their 50% off sale page, they are less than $10 which is a great deal for the size root ball they have. I haven't seen clematis other than in 2 gallon pots here at big box stores, and they are usually more than $15, though not necessarily healthy.

Rosemoor is a type 2 pruning plant, so is more likely to be in a big box store or local nursery than a type 3 prune plant since they may be starting to bloom when most people are visiting nurseries in the spring and early summer, so are easier to sell. Type 3 don't bloom until after most folks are done with spring planting and so they aren't ever in bloom during that spring rush and are less likely to be carried by local nurseries IME.

So, you might find Rosemoor this spring locally or in a BBS if you are lucky, but you might not. If you want to be sure to get that specific variety, however, I'd mail order it. Use the big box stores only when you'd be happy with a choice of varieties, and the specific type isn't really important. Where you are in TX, I wouldn't be surprised if you start seeing clematis in nurseries and big box stores within the few weeks. You might want to ask on the Texas gardening forum since when stores get plants is quite regional. (We currently have several feet of snow on the ground and won't see even pansies for more than a month still, and Clematis will be a few weeks after that.)

I love brushwood !! Great people and wonderful plants.

I will answer your post and say, my lowes and Home Depot in the nashville area have their bare roots in. So far I haven't caved except a bag of oriental Lillie's . :)

Good luck finding your Clem!

I have seen them at my local Lowes and HD also. I used to wait until they went on clearance but after 2 years of doing that, I realized I was just getting roots that sat in a store for many months and did not fare well once planted. Now I try to buy at the beginning of the season when I see them but even then, many still don't make it. Be sure to keep your receipts and make use of the 1-year guarantee that these stores offer in case you need it.

I saw packages at Home Depot, sams club and Walmart in central nj

I gave in & bought one of those bare root packages from Lowes. It's grown 2 sets of leaves already in the last 2 weeks giving me lot of hope. But I think I should wait for plants to arrive in the stores rather than buying bare roots. Can not wait...

Here is a picture. It is planted in the ground next to a climbing rose.

IME some bare roots may take a few years to get to the same level that you see growing in pots for sale. The reason, of course, is that people want to buy plants that are already flourishing, even in bloom, rather than wait a few years for a plant to come into its own. The potted clematis plants also usually get stocked later in the spring and summer season.

But I think a good way to acquire many plants is to take advantage of every option you can for getting new and interesting plants. Buy them cheap as seeds or roots, or buy them as flourishing plants, or get them as cuttings from friends and family.

Even as a climbing plant, that one looks a bit leggy and not having quite as green leaves as I've seen on new growth. However, I hope it will do well for you this growing season!

THanks for that NHBabs. That is enough incentive to place an order for 4 clematis.

Thanks all for posting. I was really impatient and couldn't wait to plant a clematis. To my surprise, I found some really good one gallon and 3 gallon clematis at a local nursery in Katy, TX today.

Do you have a Costco nearby, bluehaven? My Costco carries clematis, 4 plants for $12. Although selection is limited, they have about 8 popular varieties.

Although I am a nurseryperson myself and usually only purchase well-established plants from 'real' nurseries, I purchased a package of Costco clematis last spring. First, the price was too good to pass up and second, they offered a variety I had longed to grow - Clematis florida seiboldii. This was combo'd with Ramona, 2 starts of each type.

They were pitiful little bare root starts packed in a peaty soil mix. I planted up each in its own gallon sized nursery pot and grew them on through the summer. They did well and both the seiboldiis even produced blooms! This spring, all 4 plants started growing early and are now looking very good. I shared one of each variety with my sister (the Costco member) and my two are getting planted this weekend.

I am very excited about the seiboldii. I've tried this one a couple of
times with no previous success (as longtime participants to GW will attest to my previous whining). It has a reputation for being a somewhat tender and tricky clem to grow so it's going into a large container for my deck where I can keep an eye on it. The fact that it even produced flowers its very first growing season is huge in my book!!

It's hard to argue with clems at $3 each :-)) So I definitely endorse the Coscto experience but only as long as you have the patience to baby these tiny little starts along for a season or two.

I would have to agree with the plants at costco... last summer I bought a bag of 4 bareroot peonies and planted them right into the ground and completely ignored them and two of them are already popping up! I am quite pleased. If I had potted them up and actually paid attention to them, I'd probably have all 4. Live and learn, but I agree... costco has good plants for the price!

I agree. I was shocked to see how small they were and some of them have already been growing. Two weeks later, they are doing extremely well in 1 gal pots. The 2 two Niobes have buds already! The Carnabys are about 4 inches tall and all green up.

My Costco has a killer selection right now, and they are 4 for $11.99. The plants are pretty small but they look to be in great shape. I got Sweet Autumn and Multi Blue/Dutchess of Edinburgh. Lowes and Home Depot also have some but not a very good selection.

My Costco in Spokane is selling absolutely beautiful Guernsey Cream clematis in a large pot with a bamboo trellis. I bought one.

What a wonderful find Danielle! I love Guernsey Cream... It's on my ever growing wishlist!

Silver Star Vinery has an announcement on its website:

APRIL SPECIAL SALE

$5.00 off 2 clematis

$10.00 off 4 clematis

Here is an update on Costco clematis. 2 Niobes and 2 Carnabys

the home depot in Pittsburgh (by friendship) had quite a few when I was visiting this weekend

Gardengal, florida seiboldii at Costco? I've killed at least three...six if you could her relatives. Did you have to post that? LOL I quit buying their packaged plants when Lilies and Daffodils weren't correctly labeled....argh

Our walmart has a pretty decent selection of clematis right now but there was a pink clematis with blooms on it and the label was Guernsey Cream so I didn't purchase any because I figured they could all be labeled wrong.

last year I tried a jackmanii bareroot clematis from walmart. It is a no-fail variety so I figured I might do okay. I kept it in a half-gallon pot all season in mostly sun. It didn't do a whole lot. I don't remember the details, but I probably gave it a rich growing medium and light feeding. Midway through the season, I saw a nice-looking Jackmanii in a "real" nursery and got it so I could get it in the ground during the season. It bloomed through November and is looking very strong this season. I overwintered the "baby" in an unheated garage. It survived and hopefully it will grow up eventually but it is still quite tiny. I will probably put it in the ground and hope for the best.

Bottom line: if you are not in a hurry, go for it. I saw a ton of bare-root clematis at Walmart and Home Depot this year and kept on walking...

Bluestone Perennials has a sale just 5/6 and 5/7 on some (not all) of their clematis varieties. IME they are small when they arrive, but are healthy and grow well.

In our area (Fairfax County, VA), Wal-Mart is selling Clematis COMBO in a POT for $19. It is a Triple COMBO. Three plants in each POT and each plant has at least 4-5 stems. It is possibly a combination of Nelly Moser, White Flowering one and President. The POT doesn't list the variety

Interesting, did you pick one up tututara?

Yes. I did. One POT I bought for $19.99 on regular price and following week I got one at 50% off at $9.99

Wayside Gardens (which has a mixed reputation, but the one clematis I bought from them was great) has a sale on clematis right now 6 for $36. Today, 5/28 only. You have to use the code 36MIXMATCH . You are limited to chooseing from the following types:

Happy Jack, Jolly Good, Still waters, Empress, Arabella, Elsa Spath, Josephine, Avant Garde, Diamond Ball, Pink Mink, Durandii, Abilene, Diamantina, Markham's Pink, and Odorata.

Yes, those stores sometimes have really nice clematis. I found Vancouver Sea Breeze early this spring at Lowes. It isn't always easy to find very pale lavender. I chose one with buds, not blooms. It took off with gusto and it hasn't stopped blooming. It is still (mid June) blooming and producing buds. I would like to get another one. It doesn't hurt to check those stores once in a while. You never know what you'll find.

Funny this thread resurfaced again........I was going to add my own update :-) I posted earlier about finding Clematis florida Seiboldii at Costco last spring after several attempts to grow this tricky clem and how chuffed I was that both the vines (a 4-pak of supposedly two different types) were doing well in their growing-on containers and over wintered without issue. This spring, I gave one of each type to my sister and kept the other two, really focusing on the Seiboldii (the second clem is Ramona - NBD).

The "seiboldii" has grown well and produced numerous buds and has finally bloomed. And it is NOT seiboldii!! My sister's vine IS.......mine seems to be C. florida 'Alba Plena', with greenish white, semidouble flowers. A nice enough vine but not the striking pure white with purple stamen flower I was hoping for.

I am truly miffed and feel like sneaking over to my sister's and switching the vines :-) I can't believe I gave away the ONE clematis I've been trying - unsuccessfully - to grow for years and that is now doing so well. And I am left with something I don't really care for. Guess I just have to try again!

So yes, you never know what you might find at one of the box stores.........you also never know exactly what you are going get, especially when you purchase as a bare root start. Don't believe those labels!

How disappointing! I, too, would love a seiboldii, but don't think it would make it in my cold climate. I was going to live vicariously through yours. :)
How much does your sister love you?

She's not exactly a plant person and was just happy to get a couple of vines :-) So she doesn't really appreciate the rarity of getting that vine to thrive and bloom, which it was doing quite profusely when I was over there a week or so ago! Could we swap? Hmmm......she's enough of a plant person to appreciate the blooms on her clematis and thinks they're gorgeous, so I doubt she'd be happy with mine, which is quite lackluster in comparison.

Bummer!

Well, I found two clearance clematises at Lowes this week: Elsa Spath and Carnaby. $3 a piece.

You can bet I'll be checking my Lowes for clematis. You can't have too many of these lovely vines whether growing on a trellis or tuteur, through climbing roses or climbing a tree. They're so adaptable, and look wonderful almost anywhere.

I need to start making rounds at nurseries for clearance clemies!

Back in May I was at one of our local Walmarts (Buffalo, NY area) just before Mothers Day and they had just gotten in a large selection of clematis. I went through them and amongst several varieties I have or am familiar with, there were 2 I was not. Fire Flame and Fireworks. I went home and did some research on them and found them to be quite nice, at least from the description and photos found in my Googling. I dashed back to the Walmart and purchased one of each at $12.99. I've posted a photo of the actual plants I bought with inserts of what they are supposed to look like obtained from the web. I planted them as is and after a few weeks when new growth appeared, trimmed them down severely, and now, much more new healthy growth is appearing. I have been nipping that off a few nodes down as well to promote root growth, and both are doing very well. In fact, Fireworks did set a bud which I let open to see if it was what it is supposed to be, and it is, albeit a bit lighter than the photo, but still, somewhat

the correct coloration. Fire Flame has not set any buds/blooms, but is growing very well. I am holding my breath. I very much want a beautiful pink/red double in my collection, but am always leery of buying anything at Walmart not in bloom as I have had frequent problems with plants not being what they are labeled. Luckily, I purchased these shortly after they arrived at the store, as they did not look the least bit picked over. Unfortunately, there was only one label in one pot in each flat of 6 pots, so when that pot was purchased, there was no way to know what variety was in the flat. I find that pretty stupid on the growers part and Walmart as well, but then again, it's Walmart. Anyway, I will still be pruning Fire Flame next year to encourage better root growth, but if it does set a bloom, I will let it open just to see if it is what it is was labeled. Keeping my fingers crossed! I will update this when it does.

Hope you got the correct 'Fire Fame'. I quit buying clematis unless they are in bloom as have a large collection and don't want to waste time or money on a duplicate. The except was one fall at Lowes I bought seven plants for a dollar each. The next fall after they had bloomed I took the duplicates to a plant swap where they were snatched up quickly.

My Fireworks has a very subtle purple and often looks like no purple at all. I like it better without the purplish tones. It is an excellent bloomer.

Thanks for the info. Mine, so far, is more on the Lavender side, but lighting, I have found, sometimes makes a huge difference in coloration. I have it an area with 3 others, 2 of which are 'barred' and hopefully not to similar or I will be reorganizing it once again. The others are Barbara Jackman, Dr. Ruppel and Gillian Blades, all just getting themselves established. Thanks again!

Just posted separately but saw a bunch of large, healthy-looking but unmarked clematis at HDepot today for $20. Was tempted but hate to buy blind.