Clematis (Ranunculaceae) - Virgin’s bower or Leatherflower

A large genus of plants containing nearly 300 species with worldwide distribution across the temperate regions. We even have a native species in Vermont, virginiana. These plants require a cool, well drained and fertile soil, but the foliage enjoys full sun and good air movement. The most typical species are herbaceous viners that wind up a trellis, holding on by means of wrapping the leaves around a structure. Most of the large flowered varieties that people see gracing fences and archways in a range of colors are cultivars selected from the Asian species. The breeding of clematis took off in the mid 19th century with the creation of ‘Jackmanii’. Since then it has been a steady wave of new cultivars being bred. It can be a bit overwhelming. Most of these cultivars are grown from cuttings produced by nurseries and shipped to local vendors. We have selected several cultivars based on ease of growth, disease resistance, hardiness and long flowering times. We will keep an updated list here, stay posted! We have also been growing some species plants from seed. These have proven quite slow to get started, but we may have some for 2022.