Bush Clematis
Growing to only three to four feet if you give them something to lean against like another perennial or a rose bush, they make excellent garden plants.
These are not vines but then again, they are not upright bushes either. Think of them as sprawling perennials that require a bit of assistance to stand up straight.
Sunlight
Like their vine cousins, bush clematis demand full sunlight if they are to grow properly but their mid to late summer blossoms in violets, blues and whites will add a design touch to any garden. (Get it?? I’m a fan of this plant!)
Any mid-summer plant in blue or violet is to be encouraged in the sunny border to help “cool” down the border’s appearance.
Soils
After giving the clematis full sun, your next task is to ensure it has a rich, organic soil. There’s little point in putting this plant in clay soils that will winter-rot it or sandy dry soils that will summer-drought it to death.
Amend the soil by double digging and adding more compost (50:50 to the original soil) than you thought any plant should require. The bush clematis will thank you for it by giving you huge numbers of blooms.
Like other clematis, bush type clematis propagate fairly readily from seed (you’ll have lots of that once it starts to bloom) and cuttings.
Varieties that you can search for include the following species. Note that I have not listed many individual varieties yet as I’m mostly growing the species myself. If you can find individual varieties – purchase them by all means.
Plants to Look For
Clematis heracleifolia
This three foot tall bush clematis acts like a perennial flower in my zone 4 garden – it dies right to the ground every fall. In warmer gardens, it tends to act more like a shrub, standing tall all winter and reblooming from old stalks. I think I’d cut it to the ground anyway to encourage new and stronger shoots. But if the branches survive in your garden the only spring task is to prune off the dead wood and treat it like the shrubby plant it is. Every few years, you can whack it to the ground to thicken it up and renew it.
It does have a blue and violet flower in mid to late summer and is a garden standout.
‘Wyevale’ with deeper violet blue flowers than the species is readily available..
Clematis integrifolia
This bush plant makes a sprawling clump of deep violet blue nodding flowers that attract garden visitors like moths to a flame. The seed heads, puffy silvery-white in colour are equally attractive and attract equal time from admiring gardeners. Do plant it next to other perennials or shrubs (it is quite floppy) and do plan on cutting it right the ground in the fall after all growth has stopped. It is quite hardy in USDA zone 4.
Clematis x jouiniana
This plant is perfectly hardy into USDA zone 3 (it’s a tough one) and in cold climates, you’ll have to prune it back to the ground in the fall. However, in warmer climates (upwards into zone 6) it will tend to being evergreen. If you’re in a warmer climate, you’ll have to prune out the dead wood yearly and cut to the ground every few years. Note that I said “tend to evergreen” - :-) this is not a guarantee.
The variety ‘Mrs. Robert Brydon’ with an off-white flower with blue tones or tint is readily available
Clematis stans
This is one of my favourite of the bush clematis. The starry blue flowers in late summer are terrific when combined with bright reds. It is a major sprawling plant so should not be put in the formal garden but in my cottage type garden, it is a star when drunkenly leaning against its neighbouring roses. I whack it back in the late fall and it grows quite happily each spring.
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