Clematis integrifolia 'Alba' (I)

RHS Plant Profile
clematis 'Alba'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Clematis integrifolia 'Alba' (I)?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
clematis 'Alba' John Fielding

Synonyms

Clematis integrifolia white-flowered
Clematis integrifolia var. albiflora

Herbaceous Perennial
Thank you - your purchase supports our charity work Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £28.99Buy this from Plant Nurseries
6 Suppliers

Deciduous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial to about 1m tall, with elliptical green leaves and stems topped by nodding, bell-shaped pure white flowers, occasionally tinted blue at the base, with slightly twisted outer sepals surrounding creamy-white anthers. Flowers from midsummer to early autumn, are followed by feathery, silvery seedheads

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Potentially harmful
Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (rabbits): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Clematis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or herbaceous perennials, mostly climbing by twining leaf-stalks, and often with showy flowers. Some have attractive fluffy seedheads in autumn
Name Status
Not established
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Integrifolia Group clematis are woody-based subshrubs with non-climbing or semi-climbing herbaceous stems, and bell-shaped or flat flowers on the current year's growth, in summer and early autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant herbaceous (non-climbing) clematis at soil level in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in full sun, with the roots and base of the plant in shade. See clematis cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division or take basal softwood cuttings of herbaceous clematis in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Pruning (clematis) group 3

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, snails and caterpillars; petals may be eaten by earwigs

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), clematis wilt and clematis slime flux