Clematis integrifolia 'Baby Lilac' (I)

Herbaceous Perennial

A dwarf, bushy, deciduous perennial reaching a height of just 40cm, with dark green leaves. Lilac, bell-shaped flowers with wavy edges, appear from June through to September. Ideal for pots or at the front of a herbaceous border

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or 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: Bushy
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: Unresolved
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 clematis in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in full sun, Ideal for ground cover or as an individual plant in a rock garden. See clematis cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Will germinate easily at room temperature; sow at a shallow depth in spring, summer or early autumn. Propagate by division after it has become established

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Flower borders and beds
Garden edging
Ground cover

Pruning

Pruning (clematis) group 3 - can be cut back hard in February

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

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