Evergreen Clematis

Hi all. Does anyone have any evergreen clematis in their garden? or any advice on the best one to get?

 

I have a feeling that they are less hardy than the normal.

 

Early sensation is nice, and the dwarf one, pixie.

http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=11368
http://www.potsgardenclub.co.uk/plants/indpages/clepipage.htm

There are also the armandii, with strap-like leaves - bu tI'm not so keen on them....
http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=11367

 

Amandii did well for me - after initial bit of clematis wilt.

 

I think the early sensation is the nicest of the three. Good to know that armandii is fragrant though.

 

It's the leaves I don't like so much with armandii. I use the early sensation a lot in designing and doing planting plans - it has really nice leaves, and being evergreen, gives all year interest, and the flowers coming so early makes it a good choice!

My other standard, almost trademeark, is another climber, the Tropaeolum speciosum, which grows incredibly well up in this area

http://images.google.com/images?q=tropaeolum%20speciosum&hl=en-GB&sourceid=gd&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2006-49,GGLD:en-GB&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/933.shtml


As you can imagine, I thoroughly recommend it if you have a hedge or other plants for it to scramble through - it's what it does best. :D

 

Armadii is evergreen, and also the winter flowering ones, which are absolutely beautiful!!!! I have Jingle Bells with lovely little creamy yellow dangly flowers....

I am in the middle of planting up my garden after major works, and am going to plant armandii and winter flowering ones, with summer non-evergreen ones growing through them - that way you have flowers all year round as well as foliage!!! www.crocus.co.uk is a good place to do plant searches.

 

But don't forget that as with all evergreen plants, they do have some dead leaves on all the year round rather than shedding them all at once.

 

I have had the evergreen C. Flammula for years now, later flowering than Armandii and the scent is fabulous. It's common name is Fragrant Virgin's Bower.

 

That sounds lovely, Blackthorn! Another onefor my file! :D Just to echo what Peter said earlier - it's not very hardy..... but in a sheltered spot, I'm sure it would be fine even up here.

 

I grew it from seed - Chilterns of course - as I have never seen it offered in nurseries.

 

only just catching up with the posts so apologies, Blackthorn- you mentioned the evergreen flammula? I bought one of thes elast year for my pergola and it was lovely bt I am looking at it now and theres not a leaf on it. Does it depend on the area or maybe mine may have died when my back was turned ? Hope not as it took me ages to track it down. Its not the white flamula but a pink tinted one cant think of the exact name right now but must have it written down somewhere

 

just answered my own question. The one I have is rubra marginata or something like that. its parents are flammula but this one is deciduous. Maybe its not dead then

 

It's nice to have a chat with yourself, isn't it, LG? :rolleyes: :D

 

I love pixie! The fragrance of the plentiful flowers in May is just beautiful!

My mum's birthday is on Christmas Eve - so a few years ago, I bought both she and I a clematis called 'Jingle Bells' which claimed to flower on Christmas day! "Oh Aye!" Well - mine was in flower the first year - and whilst it has survived - in (evergreen) leaf - it has however, failed to flower since. My mum's, on the other hand, was in full bloom this Christmas again - perhaps one to look out for?