Filigree Clematis

Light Needs

Part Shade to Full Sun

(4+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

1-2 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

Here is a mounding, compact clematis that you will love this summer. Growing just a few feet tall at maturity it grows best as a ground cover or in a patio container due to its compact size. It would also make a great shade ground cover for a contrasting colored climbing clematis since they love to have their roots shaded. Whichever way you decide to plant this free blooming compact clematis, you will be thrilled with the results. Huge white flowers with a lavender blush, green anthers with purple tips and lightly ruffled single or double petals will completely cover this compact low growing clematis.

Native to China and Japan, clematis have been cultivated for hundreds of years. Clematis can be ground cover like Filigree, or it can be small, medium and large climbers in all colors from white to deep purple and red. Hardy in Zones 4-9, clematis can survive the harsh cold winters of all but the coldest states in the Lower 48, and all but the hottest summers in the extreme south and southwest. While they are not salt tolerant, they can grow in just about any fertile well draining soil. Butterflies will love clematis, but deer and rabbits rarely browse on them.

Filigree Clematis Care

Clematis typically love a full sun location, but can tolerate some light shade. They prefer to be planted in well draining fertile soil, rich in nutrients, but are effective at pulling nutrients out of most soils as long as they are not planted in soggy locations. They are tolerant of a wide variation of soil pH ranges, even thriving in a mostly alkaline soil where very few other plants thrive. Clematis are deep rooted plants, so can tolerate some dry conditions, but do best with regular deep watering for best results. Fertilize with a low nitrogen fertilizer like a 5-10-10 alternating with a balanced 10-10-10 every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. Mulch lightly in late fall to protect the root zone, but keep the mulch back from covering the stems.

Deadheading involves clipping spent flower stems down to the first set of leaves. This will help the plant to redirect its energies to flower production and will result in even more blooms. Filigree belongs in pruning group 2. Pruning your new plant will involve understanding that this perennial flowers on old wood developed in the prior growing season for early spring blooms, and then flowers again on new growth from this growing season. Prune lightly during the growing season to shape them, realizing you could be removing next year’s flowers if you are too aggressive, and then in February or March of the next year, prune about 12 inches of last year's growth down to the first swollen leaf bud. Remove any wilted or dried stems immediately and dispose of them.

Filigree Clematis Spacing

Space your plant about 12 inches from other plants even if you are providing a ground cover for a taller perennial. This will give this clematis room to spread out horizontally. Growing to just 24 inches tall and spreading out 12 inches, this clematis will remain compact rather than growing upwards, so does not need the support of a trellis or fence. This lovely lavender blush flowering clematis would look great in combination with some of the more richly colored blooms of climbing clematis, or accompany other perennials in an informal garden bed. Whatever you decide to do with this compact grower, you will enjoy Filigree Clematis in your garden this spring!

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