Whether you pronounce their name "KLEM-a-tis," "kle-MAT-us," or any variation thereof — clematis are beautiful, versatile flowering vines that deserve a place in every garden. They will readily climb a nearby arbor, trellis, or neighboring shrub to provide the perfect pop of color wherever you need it, in hues ranging from white to red to blue — and even yellow! With so many clematis to choose from at the Farm, we've put together a guide to help you select the best one for your garden. Keep reading to discover some of our favorite varieties and to learn more about their pruning and care.

Clematis 'Fairy Dust' (Group 3)

What Makes a Clematis?

The genus Clematis is a relatively large group of plants in the buttercup family (the Ranunculaceae) that hail from temperature regions of Asia, Europe, North America, and Australaisa. Most clematis you will encounter at the Nursery are hybrids of various vining species, although there are also a few bushy, herbaceous varieties found in the trade. Some clematis are evergreen, some are fragrant, but all have an indelible charm. They are long-blooming, easy to care for, and come in a variety of colors — all of which has earned them the title "queen of the climbers." Even after their magnificent blooms have faded, most are arrayed with fuzzy seed heads that continue to offer visual interest well into the season.

Vining clematis feature specially-adapted leaf petioles that can wrap themselves around sufficiently narrow support structures in order for the plant to climb upwards. As such, you will want to provide them with a suitable trellis or other support structure. Just be sure that the "struts" of this support are are less than half an inch wide, or else they may be too large for the plants to effectively latch onto. Clematis can also be sited where they can scramble up a nearby shrub — ideally one that flowers at a different time of year, allowing you to maximize visual interest across the seasons. (Roses and clematis are one classic combination used in this manner. Just imagine a large-flowered clematis rambling up through a climbing rose trained to an arbor!)

Clematis 'Niobe' (Group 2/3)

A Clematis for Every Space

Clematis plants thrive in well-drained soil and tend to prefer a sunny location, although some afternoon shade can be beneficial. (A few can even be pushed further into the shade — see below!) The biggest determining factor for how you can use a clematis in your garden will be its size. Some — such as Clematis armandii — can grow fairly large, but don't think just because you are a patio or balcony gardener that there isn't a clematis for you. Smaller varieties can be great candidates for container culture as long as you provide a trellis or obelisk to support the plant as it grows.

For the purposes of the following list, we consider a container suitable size to be no greater than eight feet at maturity, although a handful of the following varieties stay even smaller:

Clematis for Containers

Fragrant Clematis

Evergreen Clematis

Shade Tolerant Clematis

One of the few evergreen clematis species, Clematis armandii (Group 1)

Know Your Pruning Group

There are hundreds of clematis varieties in cultivation, but they can all be divided into three basic groups based upon their patterns of growth and bloom, which inform when — and how much — they should be pruned. Knowing which group your clematis falls into can be helpful when trying to decide which variety you want to grow.

Clematis macropetala 'Bluebird' (Group 1)

Group 1: Early-Flowering Clematis

This group includes many clematis varieties derived from Clematis alpina, C. macropetala, and C. montana, which bloom on the previous year's growth. As such, they require little to no pruning. If needed, you can gently prune them right after they finish flowering to remove any dead or damaged stems and to shape the plant as desired. However, avoid heavy pruning unless your clematis is in dire need of renovation pruning. If this is the case, you can cut it down to six inches or so from the ground after flowering to allow it to flush new growth, but know that you will likely sacrifice the following year's flowers. Additionally, this shouldn't be performed more than once in a three year period, and notably, should never be undertaken with the winter-flowering evergreen clematis, which otherwise fall into this pruning group, as they respond very poorly to hard pruning.

Clematis 'Vancouver Starry Nights' (Group 2)

Group 2: Large-Flowered Clematis

This group of clematis consists of large-flowered cultivars that flower in late spring and early summer on short offshoots from the previous year's growth — and occasionally again on new growth later in the season. They require pruning to perform their best in the garden and to maximize the flower power potential that makes this class of clematis so appealing.

When pruning clematis in Group 2, the goal is to maintain some old wood while stimulating new shoots. You will want to prune these plants twice per year: Once in early winter, to remove dead or weak stems, cutting back to the highest pair of healthy buds; then, just after flowering, you can encourage an additional flush of blooms by pruning a few stems back to large buds or strong side shoots just below this year's blooms.

Clematis 'Inspiration' (Group 3)

Group 3: Late-Flowering Clematis

Group 3 clematis bloom on new growth, so they can be pruned back hard in late winter or early spring. This treatment is recommended in order to avoid bare stems that only produce blooms high up on the plant, where you may not be able to appreciate them. (That said, there are applications where this might be preferable — such as when trying to cover a large pergola, where you want a canopy of flowers!) If you are wanting a shorter, fuller plant, Group 3 clematis can be pruned back to about a foot above the ground, leaving a few healthy buds on each stem.

No matter the pruning group, with a little care and attention, your clematis plants will reward you with a stunning display of flowers year after year.