Evergreen Clematis

Evergreen clematis is the vigorous vine that delivers what most clematis cannot: year-round foliage. While the familiar large-flowered hybrids die to the ground each winter, Clematis armandii keeps its long, leathery, dark green leaves through the coldest months and then erupts in early spring with masses of creamy-white, vanilla-scented flowers. Each bloom is five to six centimeters across with four to six narrow petals, and the fragrance carries on still air in March, making this one of the earliest and most fragrant flowering vines in the Western Washington garden. Native to central and western China, it climbs by twining leaf stalks, reaching twenty feet or more on a support.

Evergreen clematis needs full sun to part shade and a sheltered site, the evergreen foliage is rated Zone 6 to 7, which means it can be damaged in our coldest winters. Plant it against a south or west-facing wall, on a pergola with overhead protection, or anywhere reflected heat moderates frost. Two diseases are tracked, including clematis wilt, but armandii is generally less susceptible to wilt than the large-flowered hybrids. Good drainage and air circulation reduce risk. The plant is vigorous, sometimes aggressively so, and needs regular pruning after flowering to keep it on its structure. Cut back hard after the spring bloom finishes and it will regenerate for the following year. For year-round evergreen cover on a structure with a spectacular spring fragrance bonus, this vine has no equal in the region.