Candida Clematis

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

8-12 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

For nighttime garden delight--or even in the light of day--you can’t beat the 9-inch crisp white flowers of Clematis ‘Candida.’ Inside each big bloom is a collection of creamy yellow anthers, just to add to the dramatic effect of this unique Clematis vine. The versatile plant has a trailing, or vine-like growth, perfect for winding around a trellis, post, or wall. This clematis variety grows to nearly 12 feet long and 2 feet wide.

With its climbing ability and unique white blooms, Candida deserves a prime spot in the landscape or on a deck or patio. It can grow in a container or in the ground. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to the blooms and the plant is deer and rabbit resistant. The semi-woody vine sports its giant flowers in May through September, backed by contrasting dark green leaves. Clematis Candida can thrive in full or partial sun in zones 4 through 8.

Candida Clematis Care

For best results, plant your clematis in a spot with well-drained soil and a mix of sun and shade. Clematis plants prefer to be placed so that the roots are shade-TOd, but the vine receives sun. Plant near a vertical structure such as a post, fence, or trellis. Or place your clematis in a container and add a trellis for support. Clematis plants need regular water so the soil does not dry completely. It is important to water container-grown clematis regularly and slowly, since containers can dry out faster than the ground.

At planting time, choose a fertile container mix or add compost to the soil. Clematis Candida needs a lot of energy to produce those big, white blooms on its thin branches, so it benefits from added compost and use of a balanced fertilizer each spring. Add some fertilizer around the root zone of the plant again in early summer. Spring and early summer blooms appear on old growth (vines from the previous year) and late summer to fall blooms appear on new growth. That means this plant is in pruning group 2 and little pruning is needed. Cutting the plant to the ground in either spring or fall will reduce blooming, but not prevent it entirely. Gardeners should remove diseased or broken stems.

Candida Clematis Spacing

Candida will spread to about 1 to 2 feet, so if you plant more than one along a fence or arbor, space them at least a foot apart. Gardeners can then train the vining growth as desired.