Do you love flowers? Then you would have possibly heard of Clematis. They are vines and are perennials.
Some are summer-blooming Clematis with large, showy flowers while others are fall-blooming varieties with lots of smaller petals.
If you’re thinking of planting Clematis flower at home, you might be concerned as to what side of the house it’ll do well.
I did some research and here’s what I found:
It’s best to plant Clematis on the south-east side of your house where they can get adequate sunlight. Avoid exposing Clematis to the north side of the house where there’s full shade.
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The common Clematis are various ornamental climbing plants and usually have large, flat, open-face, showy flowers that can be as wide as 7 inches across and have stunning colors that can be white, blue, pink, or purple.
Some Clematis also have small, bell-shaped flowers with recurved outer petals that dangle like little lanterns.
Some flowers have a pleasant fragrance. Clematis are undoubtedly among the most beautiful flowering vines on the market.
Most Clematis bloom in the springtime and summertime and fade back in the autumn and winter. Typically, Clematis can grow as tall as 20ft. (6.1m) and has a lifespan of over 80 years.
Every flower gardener knows the pleasure of growing clematis and its ability to make a stunning statement.
But if you’re new to Clematis, you may want to know how to grow Clematis and what side of the house to plant it.
This well-explained grow guide gives you all you need to know about planting Clematis, the “queen of climbers.”
Which Side of the House to Plant Clematis?
Hopefully, you’ve got a nice planting spot in mind to grow your new Clematis before you bring it home. But that may not be the ideal spot for Clematis.
Ideally, Clematis love a sunny spot. Yes, Clematis requires full sunlight on their foliage and cool shade over the roots to thrive well.
Though a few varieties of Clematis, such as Henryii and Nellie Moser, will thrive in partial shade, to reach their full potential, all varieties of Clematis need at least six hours of full sunlight on their foliage every day.
Aside from adequate sunlight on its blooms, Clematis love moist and well-draining soil with a pH ranging from neutral to slightly alkaline.
In a nutshell, we may not be able to tell exactly what side of the house to plant Clematis as this has to do with the plan or structure of your house and the topography of the land.
However, look for the side of your house with adequate exposure to sunlight, alkaline soil, low-growing perennials, groundcover, and little to no waterlogging. This is because Clematis are happiest with the warm sun on their vine and foliage and cool shade at their roots.
If you can’t find a side with groundcover, you can consider mulching 4in. (10.2cm) deep around the roots to keep the soil cool. If your soil is more acidic, you can make the soil alkaline by periodically adding limestone or a little wood ash.
If you have a shrub or small tree, you can also plant Clematis near its base. The clematis will grow up the branches of the shrub or tree without harming the shrub or tree.
Pick Your Preferred Clematis Variety
Now that you have discovered the best side of your house to plant Clematis, the next step is to select your preferred Clematis variety.
As stated above, Clematis flowers come in large varieties of shapes and colors – from drooping bluebells to pink blooms that span 6in. across to starry white florets.
Just recently, Clematis grew in popularity with so many flower nurseries offering diverse varieties of Clematis to choose from.
Different variety of Clematis requires slightly different requirements, which you have to take into consideration when deciding which Clematis variety to buy.
Here are the most common varieties of Clematis to consider:
Note: Almost all Clematis varieties often take several years to produce blooms, so look for a potted plant that’s about a year or two years old when buying Clematis.
- Nelly Moser: This variety has large, pink flowers and is one of the most common varieties of clematis. It’s hardy and easy to establish.
- Ernest Markham: This variety has stunning magenta flowers and grows vigorously on trellises and arbors. This cultivar blooms last, from late spring to fall.
- Niobe: This variety has red flowers and is a suitable choice for growing in a pot since it doesn’t get very large.
- Princess Diana: This variety has pale pink, bell-shaped flowers and does particularly well in very hot climates.
- Jackmanii: This variety has deep purple blooms and grows vigorously; a widely available favorite.
- Venosa Violacea: This variety has abundant blue-violet blooms and vines that climb vigorously.
- Apple Blossom: This variety has small white blooms and grows as an evergreen.
How to Support the Clematis Plant
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⦁ Transplanting
Though Clematis can be easily established, they are also delicate plants that must be handle with care. Once you bring in your new Clematis, dig a good hole for it and work in a lot of compost and some granular organic fertilizer.
When settling the new Clematis plant into its new home, be very gentle with it as the roots, crown, and emerging vines can be easily broken.Place the plant slightly deeper than it was in the nursery pot – you may allow the first set of true leaves to go just under the soil surface.
For the first season, water the Clematis plant weekly. This will help the plant to get established. Once you’re able to get your new Clematis plant through its first year, there is a high chance that it will continue to thrive.
You should mulch around the base of the plant to keep the soil cool and to conserve moisture. However, keep the mulch several inches away from the crown of the new plant, where it emerges from the soil.
⦁ Staking
Though some varieties of Clematis have a bushy habit, most varieties are climbers. Unlike the morning glory or pole beans, Clematis vines don’t climb stakes by using twines, instead, they climb by wrapping their leaf stems around stakes.
The growing tip of a Clematis plant needs a stake to grab onto, and if it can’t find anything grab onto, it’ll stop growing. Therefore, make sure that you provide a stake or anything else that your plant can wrap on right from the first day.
Clematis don’t have very long leaf stems are not very long and so require a thin stake. Anything wider than a half inches in diameter is too wide for Clematis vine to wrap around.
The best and easy stakes for a Clematis plant to wrap onto include steel rods, wooden dowels, thin branches, wire, fishing line, and twine. The more staking opportunities you offer to your plant, the better.
⦁ Pruning and Care
Different varieties of Clematis have different pruning needs. For instance, some varieties blossom on last year’s vines, and pruning them will prevent flowering. So, you should avoid cutting them in the spring.
Others varieties flower on current-year vines and pruning them each year does no harm.
Instead of trying to find out the ideal pruning time and technique for your Clematis, simply leave the last year’s vines in place until mid-spring.
Begin pruning only when you see some leaves dying and new ones coming out.To keep your Clematis happy, healthy, and vigorous, surround it with a shovelful of compost and a handful of granular organic fertilizer in early spring.
Surround it again, once or twice during the growing season, with a water-soluble organic fertilizer.
Clematis are prone to wilting. Wilting is caused by a fungal disease called “Clematis wilt” and it causes Clematis to die suddenly without apparent reason. Clematis varieties with larger flowers are the most likely to be affected.
Clematis are also prone to an attack from earwigs, which chew holes in the flower petals. This damage, however, will only affect the aesthetic value and won’t harm the plant.
Nevertheless, if you care about the beauty, you can create earwig traps to catch and rehome them.
Snails, slugs, rodents, mice, and rabbits may also be a problem. Therefore, always protect your Clematis.
Though there is no one-size-fits-all side of the house to plant Clematis, you should look for the best side of your house with adequate exposure to sunlight, alkaline soil, low-growing perennials, groundcover, and little to no waterlogging.
Planting Clematis: Final thoughts
Choose the right Clematis variety for the side of your house.
For instance, choose a shade-tolerant variety if there is less sunlight exposure at the side of your house and compact Clematis if you’re growing Clematis in pots or a small garden.
There are lots of Clematis varieties to choose from. Check your new Clematis thoroughly for any signs of damage before buying or planting.