Clematis are often referred to as the queen of the climbers – a title that this gorgeous, climbing plant richly deserves. Clematis are vastly versatile – with varieties suitable for warm, sunny, south-facing aspects and others better suited to duller areas, including north-facing walls and fences.
Their versatility extends to: growing clematis up obelisks, arches, pergolas and arbours; for growing clematis in containers; growing clematis through shrubs, trees and other climbers to either bump up the host’s flower power or extending the flowering period further, or both; as colourful clematis ground cover, as well as clothing fences, walls and other vertical surfaces with these amazing plants. Clematis come in a rainbow of colours – from white to dark, deep purple. And there’s a variety of flower shapes – from small, dangling bells to large, open, flat flowers. Oh, and if you choose to grow a range of different species and varieties, you really can have flowers 365 days of the year. And, yes, that does include the winter, with winter-flowering clematis bringing buckets of cheer during the cold, otherwise dull, months. These have the added bonus of being evergreen, so you get a double bang for your buck – flowers and foliage.
Clematis cirrhosa
The most widely grown of the winter beauties is Clematis cirrhosa and its varieties. This Mediterranean native is hardy enough to grow outside the UK in a sunny spot. It produces its 7cm, single, bell-shaped to open cup, cream to pale yellow flowers, which are sometimes flecked red inside, between November and February, and sometimes into spring. These are followed by gorgeously silky, ornamental seedheads, much loved by birds for their nests. This evergreen clematis grows to around 3m high and is covered with gorgeous, ornamental, dark green, fern-like foliage that is slightly bronze beneath.
But how about growing some of the different varieties too?
Clematis cirrhosa balearica, the fern-leaved clematis, can grow to 4m high. The slightly fragrant, single, cup-shaped, pale yellow flowers reach up to 5cm wide and are spotted reddish-purple within. The very finely cut, dark green leaves are tinged bronze-purple in winter.
Clematis ‘Jingle Bells’ bears creamy-white flowers from December through to March. Clematis ‘Wisley Cream’, as its name suggests, produces greenish flowers that mature to a creamy-white from November to March. Whereas if you love the spotted flowers of balearica, go for ‘Freckles”. The large 10cm wide single flowers are pale yellow and are heavily speckled red and produced during late autumn, winter and early spring.
But it’s not all about Clematis cirrhosa, there are several others to adorn your winter wonderland.
Clematis cartmanii ‘Avalanche’
This delight (see main image) is best in warmer parts of the country or in sheltered positions. From February to April, this 3m high beauty is covered in 4cm wide white flowers with a central boss of yellow stamens. These are set off by the dark green, deeply divided glossy, leathery leaves. Unlike Clematis cirrhosa, it thrives in partial shade as well as sunny positions and although hardy to -7C, it may suffer leaf damage in cold winters.
But like cirrhosa, there are some other varieties too. ‘Joe’ is more compact, only growing to 1.5m high and flowers late winter and early spring. ‘White Abundance’ is even more compact, reaching 1.25m, and producing profuse creamy-white, fragrant flowers 3.5-5cm wide with greeny-brown centres in late winter and early spring.
Clematis ‘Advent Bells’
This variety is a cross between ‘Freckles’ and Clematis napaulensis. The latter is also a great winter-flowerer, but isn’t reliably hardy. But if you live in a warm, sheltered part of the country it’s well worth having a go or grow it in a greenhouse or conservatory. The green flower buds open to greenish-cream, nodding, bell-shaped flowers that have long reddish-pink anthers. ‘Advent Bells’ has a charming cream flowers that are very heavily freckled and striped inside with red, It produces a profusion of dainty, hanging blooms during the winter months and is even more prolific than popular ‘Freckles’.
Clematis urophylla ‘Winter Beauty’
This winter wonder grows to 3m tall, covered in small, nodding, urn-shaped flowers reaching 4cm across. These boast downy, creamy-white petals that surround a prominent centre of cream anthers and are produced from early to late winter. They emerge from pale green flower buds, become paler and more flared at their tips as they age and are perfectly set off by the dark green foliage.
So, if your garden is missing some welcome flower power during the duller months, it’s time to embrace the wonderful world of the winter queens of climbers, the winter-flowering clematis.
