PlantFiles: Evergreen Clematis, Armand's Clematis, Armand Clematis
Clematis armandii

This plant is a rare find here, so I bought it without hesitation when I saw it. I planted it in my home yard in Sofia, at 2300 feet AMSL, which is purportedly in zone 6b. The soil is an acidic, woodland type of soil, and the exposure is medium shade.
Well, this clematis grew very well the first year and I didn't give it many chances of survival through our winters. After its first winter (2008/09) its leaves got brown tips and margins. Obviously, such long winters with such low temperatures aren't ideal for it. Yet when spring came, it started shooting like mad from multiple places, and within a month or two, it had doubled in size and shed its old, damaged leaves. It has taken hold of the lower branches of a cherry tree, and some branches are crawling on a pergola. What is most astonishing to me though, is the fact that it puts at least three or four flushes of growth annually and it will grow even in cool weather through autumn. This clematis never seems to stop growing. It is now app. 16 feet high.
This is a crazy climber.

Planted next to a climbing rose several years ago and now the have both intertwined into a magnificent 16 foot high and 15 foot wide combo.

jack

I have this clematis growing on a downspout on the side of my house. I covered the downspout with PVC flexible fencing that is the same color as the downspout (black). The fencing is completely covered by the clematis from ground to roof. The display of flowers in midspring is fabulous as is the fragrance. I planted it there so I could smell it through my bedroom window. Pruning after flowering will keep the vine full from top to bottom (so no parts of the wood will show).

My Mom grows this in the Seattle area, on a chain link fence between she and the neighbors so it is a nice evergreen screen. however, the side facing the neighbors is south, and that's where most of the flowers are. So, if you can, plant where you can see the blossoms in the spring. It has a light but exotic fragrance.

Perhaps a bit too warm here in N.E. Florida (9a) for this vine, I have rarely seen my 4 year old specimen bloom. From what I read it prefers some afternoon shade in our sub-tropical climate, which mine certainly gets, and it is a vigorous grower once established. Even though it's a bit 'shy' on flowers, I can't bring myself to rip it out even though fence space is valuable. The interesting shaped evergreen, leathery looking leaves make it worth keeping.

Named in honour of French Missionary, Père Armand David.

We love this one. For twenty years it has covered over half of the fencing that contains the inner garden area, supplying us with the most lovely spring fragrance. As long as we keep it trimmed immediately after bloom, we are rewarded with bounties of blooms the following year. It blooms on last year's growth!) The west fence vine has four hummingbird nests in it, providing us with a delight of babies every year. Only last year did I find seeds. In 2005 I have more than I could ever use!

I live in central Virginia and purchased a very large Clematis Armandii (apple blossom) plant last summer (2003). It was quite expensive being so large. I spent 2 hours untwining it from around itself. I am growing it in a very large pot on my patio which is very shaded in the summer. I was told at the nursery that it would do well in shade. A couple of stems died during the winter but over all it did quite well. It's now April 17th and it is full of blooms. They smell absolutely wonderful! I am going to buy a second one for the other side of the patio this summer.

An aggressive grower; keep pruned or it will overrun its area. Tendrils cling to other plants as well as to fence or trellis. Like the deciduous clematis, prefers 'cool feet'.

This is a wonderful vigorous clematis for a sunny spot. The evergreen leaves are a glossy dark green and large enough to make an attractive plant when not in flower. The creamy white flowers smother the plant in spring and have a delicious scent.