Clematis 'Columbine' (A) | clematis 'Columbine'

RHS

Synonyms

Clematis alpina 'Columbine'

Climber Wall Shrub

A climber 2-4m high with green leaves and nodding, bell-shaped flowers, 3-8cm across, composed of four pointed pale lavender-blue.sepals, 4-5cm long, which fade to grey-blue, and creamy white or green staminodes, in spring and early summer; many clematis are visited by bees for pollen, and some also provide nectar

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or North–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: Climbing
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: Accepted
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: Atragene Group Clematis consists of woody climbers with deciduous, 1 to 2-ternate leaves and nodding, bell-shaped, single or double flowers to 10cm across, on old wood in spring and early summer, occasionally also later, on current year's growth

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun or partial shade in containers (at least 45cm deep and wide) or in the ground, in cool, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, with the crown 5-8cm deep to encourage new shoots to grow from below ground level; keep the base of the plant and the roots cool and shaded by other plants or a layer of pebbles or flat stones; for more advice, see clematis cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by internodal leaf-bud semi-ripe cuttings taken from spring to late summer, or by layering from late winter to spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens
Wall side borders

Pruning

Clematis pruning: group one

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