Sapphire Indigo Clematis

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3 Feet

Mature Spread

3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

It's almost incongruous to say, but this is a non-climbing clematis. Wait! What? A clematis that does not climb? Yep! This compact growing indigo blue clematis with 4 inch six petaled flowers can be trained on a trellis, used as a beautiful large flowered ground cover, or as a spiller in a large container on your patio or deck this summer. As unique as they are in growing habits, the same vigor and prolific long blooming habits are there to help make a place for it in your garden this spring. Its cornflower blue blooms will win your heart.

Native to China, this Clematis is hardy to Zones 4 to 8, enduring harsh winters and loving the hot summer sun. They bloom in early summer to early fall, lasting longer than most other clematis varieties and make a great companion to climbing clematis cultivars who will appreciate the ground cover attributes of Sapphire Indigo that provide the coveted shade to their root zones. A win-win situation for both varieties! Deer and rabbits rarely bother these perennials, but bees, butterflies and hummingbirds will be frequent visitors.

Sapphire Indigo Clematis Care

Plant in well draining soil for best results. Root rot will occur if water is allowed to stand, especially in the winter regions that have snow. Whether planted in clay, sand or loamy soil, it prefers a slightly acidic to neutral soil Ph. Water to maintain a consistently moist soil, and mulch when that is not possible. A full sun location with some light afternoon shade will be appreciated by clematis, but too much shade will alter the color of the blooms and the amount of flowers. Sun equals energy and energy equals flowers! Fertilize with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like a 5-10-10, or simply apply a well composted organic material mulch in the spring for great results. Too much nitrogen creates too much foliage and not enough flowers.

Deadheading will help to promote repeat blooming. Cut the stem down to the first set of leaves to keep the vine neat and clean and give room for more flowers. Sapphire Indigo Clematis is in pruning group 2. It produces flowers on new growth and old growth (new wood and old wood) each summer. Also considered re-blooming. Pruning is generally not necessary, and may affect the next season’s flowering due to the fact that this plant blooms on old wood in the spring and new growth in the summer. If you must prune, do so right after the flowers have ceased and remove only dead or yellowed stems. Mulch the root zone in the late fall to help to protect against harsh winter conditions.

Sapphire Indigo Clematis Spacing

Space your plants about 24 inches apart to give plenty of room to spread out. Growing just 4 feet tall when trained on a trellis, and spreading out 36 inches, you will want to give this one some room to grow. It looks great when paired with taller vines or upright perennials. You will be glad you included this lovely compact low growing clematis vine in your spring garden this year!