Clematis × durandii (Integrifolia Group)

Regarded as one of the top favorite clematis by most gardeners, award-winning Clematis × durandii is a long-flowering herbaceous clematis. Deciduous, this non-twining sub-shrub produces showy, star-shaped, up-facing flowers up to 4 in. (10 cm), adorned with 4-6 indigo-blue sepals and creamy anthers. Blooming profusely from early summer to early fall, this small-flowered clematis is not a vine. Its leaf stalks do not cling, and this plant doesn’t climb. Clad with simple, ovate, medium green leaves, the young stems hold themselves erect up to about 4 ft. (120 cm) before they need support. A cross between Clematis jackmanii and Clematis integrifolia, Clematis × durandii is hardy, easy to grow, and no trouble to prune since it dies back when its season is over. An excellent clematis for long-lasting, often spectacular, summer to fall bloom.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its noteworthy qualities.
• Thrives in moist, well-drained soils, in full sun or part shade. Ideally, Clematis prefer having their ‘heads in the sun and their feet in the shade’. Keep the roots cool and shaded by other plants or add a layer of pebbles or flat stones at the base. Afternoon shade is appreciated in hot summer areas.
• Vigorous, this clematis can quickly grow up to 3-10 ft. long (90-300 cm).
• Sprawls beautifully over and through medium to large shrubs. Great for rambling through a bed of perennials. May be tied and trained up a support.
• This Clematis belongs to the third group of Clematis – a group including Clematis which flower in late summer on growth made in that season. They should be pruned in late winter or early spring and require ‘hard pruning’: simply cut back the stems to a pair of strong buds about 1ft. (30 cm) above ground level before growth begins in early spring.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

As climbers, Clematis are unsurpassed in their long flowering presence, their rich diversity of flower shapes, and their wide array of colors and tolerances in terms of exposure and climate. It is no wonder they are so popular! From tree huggers to container varieties, there is a Clematis for every garden and flowers for almost every month of the year! Members of the Ranunculaceae family, they include more than 300 species and hundreds of hybrids. They create year after year a ravishing colorful show in the garden whether solely trained on walls, arbors or trellises, or grown in association with other climbers. They are divided into 3 groups which determine how they should be pruned. Regular pruning of Clematis is important as it promotes strong growth and flowering as well as a harmonious plant. If left unpruned, Clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base and flowers well above eye level.