Clematis montana ‘Fragrant Spring’ (Montana Group)

Delightfully scented, Clematis montana ‘Fragrant Spring’ is a large deciduous climber with charming, single, clear pink flowers adorned with pale yellow-green stamens. Blooming in late spring to early summer, the blossoms are so profuse that they generally cover the foliage of bronze leaves. You get a second flowering time in fall, but only with a few flowers. The flowers are not as large or flashy as those featured by other Clematis family members, but they are full of charm with their 4 rounded petals, opening pale mauve-pink, then slightly fading as the flowers mature. Their sweet fragrance fills the air as you pass by. Even after flowering, this vine remains attractive, thanks to the seedheads left by the passing flowers, providing winter interest. This vigorous and extremely floriferous vine is perfect for covering a wall, trellis, fence, or arbor and makes an interesting ground cover.

• 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 climate areas.
• Quickly grows up to 20-30 ft. long (6-9 m).
• This Clematis belongs to the first group of Clematis – a group including Early-flowering clematis that flower on shoots produced in the previous summer: No regular pruning is required. Just clean them up after flowering.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

As climbers, Clematis are unsurpassed in their long flowering presence, the rich diversity of flower shapes, a 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 a ravishing colorful show in the garden year after year, 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.