Clematic Montana (And Yew)

Does the Clematis Montana only flower in spring? For how many months? What's people's opinion of this clematis compared to a 'normal?' type like the ones I bought at the garden centre last year and seem quite a lightweight plant but made lots of flowers all summer (probably my best success in the garden).

Also I read that it's possible to grow a clematis in a yew tree - any tips for this and would the montana be a good choice?

Finally is it possible that the Montana could grow to cover a flat roof e.g. my kitchen roof or my garage roof - it would be great if they could - any tips on doing this?

PS you would never guess I had bought a load of these cheap! - can I plant them now or should I keep them indoors until spring?

 

Clematis montana..... can grow to 25 to 30 feet ... and are difficult to keep any smaller than that! they flower in late spring ( and sometimes one or two flowers later in the year). They are far more vigourous than the larger flowered hybrid clematis.

They need some sort of support to twine around, so need wires or the smaller branches of a tree.

To get them over a roof, build a netork of wires for them to hold onto.

They can grow up trees, but due to their vigour I would only recomend growing them up strong growing trees that you don't mind being smoothered.

Depending on how big the yew tree is.... I would say that the large flowered hybrids, or any of the 'viticella' types would be a far beter choice. These will grow through a tree or shrub, but not overwhelm it!

 

So Montana is smaller flowered, flowers in spring only but grows very quickly...

 

I would not want to grow a climber up a yew tree, because of its dense leaves. Better choice would be a tree which was more "open" IMHO - like an old Apple tree, and a climbing rose might be a better choice for that.

Here's a Rose in an old Apple tree in mid-June at our last house

 

Unfortunately the only full size tree I have is a yew, I found a site on Clematis that listed the yew as a tree that can be use to grow Clematis onto, maybe it sticks it's leaves out enough to get light? The Rose/apple tree looks lovely!

 

You`re really putting the effort in with your garden. You do realise this means you are obliged to show some pics as and when things progress.

The clematis will be fine up the yew, like Kristen it wouldn`t have been my first choice-mine are growing through holly and then on up into an oak tree.

Keep your eye on it and make sure one doesn`t swamp the other.

Montana have smaller flowers generally and are very vigorous.

 

Of course I'll post pics whet either a) it loks really nice and it all flowers or b) it all goes horribly wrong and I'm hoping everyone here can rescue things!

Either way you'll have pics...

 

On a small diversion not, doesn't Montana need pruning like other clematis? If so, how do you deal with it when its growing through a tree?

I'm thinking of one myself so would be interested to know

 

It will make a tangled mess !.... with lots of dead stems in the middle.... the only effective way of pruning, is every few years hacking it right back and clear out all the old stems, do this straight after it's flowered

 

I agree with what has been said. Montana is a monster- but a very nice monster. I would be concerned that the montana could smother the Yew tree. But it would be good for covering a roof. My montana is about six years old and on a trellis. It has already grown 20 foot along the trellis and is anything up to a foot deep, as it clings to and grows upon itself.

 

So how do you prune something that thick?

 

It`s one if those jobs you have to keep on top of. Lots of people have problems with the stuff, but avid gardeners grab any excuse to work outside so it shouldn`t be too much.

 

Yes, I'm never happier than pottering about in the garden with the secateurs!

 

Bet you spend hour upon hour doing it too.

 

The usual advice is that you don't prune montana. However when it outgrows its allotted space you have to have a major hack - not to be confused with a prune. :D