Common Name: solitary clematis
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Ranunculaceae
Native Range: Asia, Europe
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 1.50 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to September
Bloom Description: Blue
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Deer, Black Walnut
Culture
Grow in fertile, medium moisture, well-drained, humusy/peaty loams in full sun to part shade. Moisture retentive soils are important but so is good drainage. Best flowering occurs in full sun. Plants usually become less vigorous and produce fewer flowers as the amount of shade increases. Light staking (as with pea sticks) helps prevent undue sprawling of plant foliage. Roots should be kept cool, shaded and uniformly moist. Bloom occurs on the current year’s growth. Stems die back to the woody base each year in fall after frost.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Clematis integrifolia, commonly known as solitary clematis, is a non-climbing, woody-based, herbaceous perennial that typically grows in a dense, upright to sprawling, shrubby mound of undivided leaves to 12-24” tall. Medium green leaves (to 5 1/2” long) are entire, ovate-lanceolate, conspicuously-veined and sessile, and will form a dense foliage clump. Solitary, nodding, urn-shaped, blue flowers, each with four twisted sepals and creamy anthers, appear in a long summer bloom. Each flower appears singly atop its own slender stalk (pedicil to 8” long) from May to July with continued lesser bloom into September. Each flower is followed by a plumose, ornamentally-attractive, silvery-green seed head. Native to shrubby areas, meadows and stream banks from central Europe to Russia and China.
Genus name comes from the Greek word klematis which is an old name applied to climbing plants.
Specific epithet means with entire or uncut leaves.
Problems
Clematis wilt is a potentially fatal fungal disease that can affect any clematis, but large-flowered, hybrid varieties are the most susceptible. Powdery mildew, leaf spots, rust and viruses can also be problematic. Potential insect pests include aphids, vine weevils, slugs/snails, scale and earwigs. Watch for spider mites.
Uses
This non-climbing clematis is best grown in large groups or massed. Border fronts, rock gardens, cottage gardens or meadows.