A great climber at 600 metres!

Serge Image
05/28/2009 - 10:19

A climber that has really done well in my garden ay 600 metres in Tuscany is Clematis Armandii. It is an evergreen and it flowers early (a little later than at ground level because of the altitude). It likes its base to be in the shade and will cover a very large area in about 5 years. It does not grow as fast as Wisteria Sinensis but it does not require pruning. When in bloom (small white/yellow flowers) the scent is intense: more so than the Spanish broom (Ginestra). We have four plants in the garden. We are training 2 plants to cover an area between to metal arches to form a covered walkway. It is not a cheap plant (about 30 Euro a young plant): any good nursery should be able to get one. It is easy to look after and to increase the stock by taking cuttings. If Wisteria is the King of climbers then the armandii must be the queen. If fact I prefer the queen!

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Great to hear about a climber that does well in high altitudes. I was more familiar with the Pink Clematis (Clematis montana). I understand that the flowers may be white or slightly pink (Apple Blossom) and that they all are very fragrant, which is an added bonus. All clematis varieties have one thing in common, which you mentioned, Serge. The root system must be shaded, while the foliage needs either full sun or light shade.