Clematis hirsutissima in the Crevice Garden

[Kristl Walek]

This post has a bit of a history, and is tied to the comments I made in this forum about plants being happy in the crevice garden.

I belong to an on-line Clematis group, because of my particular interest in the viorna group of North American species. Clematis hirsutissima, from the mountaneous American west is not a member of that group, but it does happen to be my favorite Clematis species.

By way of introduction, I posted the following profile of it on that forum:

My favorite species...native to western North America usually growing in grasslands or open pine woods. I grow new (wild collected) clones each year for genetic variation, usually from western USA seed companies.

It's endearing hairness, especially in bud, has given way to one of it's common names (Hairy Clematis).

It tops out at about 25-30cm in my open, hot, crevice garden, growing happily among alpines in limestone. All my plants grow strictly upright; no sprawling or flopping.

The leaves are grey-green, pinnately divided from two to four times into narrow segments-I likely have some variety scottii among my clones (the varietal difference lies in the space between the leaf divisions).

My clones are all urn-shaped (although bell-shapes also occur) purple-blue on the outside, deeper reddish-purple interior. The graceful nodding stalk holding the flowers becomes maroon-coloured as the season progresses.

Flowering is ongoing from spring through summer.

Following my post, that thread was filled with comments from gardeners far and wide, nearly all saying that it is impossible to difficult for them to grow this species in the open garden. In particular, gardeners from eastern North America (where I live as well) noted that the plant melts and disappears as soon as the heat and humidity moves in each summer, and that they have rarely to never seen a flower. In my garden it blooms profusely from late spring to late summer, and has been long-lived.

I had *no idea* that this plant was difficult in cultivation before I joined that Clematis forum---each clone I raised from seed was simply stuck somewhere in the crevice garden---and they have all thrived on neglect.

After comparing notes of siting, soils, exposure, planting out, etc. I was left with two possibilities: I either had a particularly good genetic clone OR that my crevice garden provided it with just the right conditions for it to be happy.

So, it is presented here as my crevice garden success story.

[art600]

Kristl

Spectacular  I agree with you that this is a very attractive clematis and not one I have seen before.

I hope the other forumists were able to copy your conditions and enjoy success.

[gote]

After seeing those pictures I will start looking for clematis seed next year.
A real beauty Kristl.

I should believe that people think that all clematis need the same conditions.
There is a similar case with Lilium bulbiferum. It is supposed to be difficult but here in Sweden it can be found as a garden escape - in old stone walls, road banks and similar sunny arid places.

Göte

[ChrisB]

I just love species clematis, Krisl, and this one is just superb.  I shall add it to my wish list.  We have a specialist clematis nursery in County Durham, I shall have to pay them a visit I think....

[Carlo]

Gote hints at the main reason I think people fail with C. hirsutissima. They try to grow it like other clematis. I take "growing in the open garden" to be analogous (for most people) to growing it in a "border." If this is the case the soil is likely to be too rich, too organic, and with a far different pH than the soil in a crevice or rock garden.

Another fact was mentioned by Kristl in her original post--benign neglect. How often do we come to realize that many plants do better when we put them in a nice spot...AND LEAVE THEM ALONE. Most gardeners kill plants at some point in their run by being too attentive. (I've got a whole section of my website dedicated to killing plants--and it's one of the most highly visited of my pages). The great majority will do just fine without us once they're in the ground and established...

[Maggi Young]

With such attractive two-tone flowers and all that fur, it is surely worth growing, even if you have to build a crevice garden to make it happy!

[ChrisB]

I'm not sure I will Maggi, with my very sandy soil, I reckon if I stick it between two rocks it will grow.  I'm just doing more of my gravel bed over to more of a raised affair with rocks around, and hereabouts all I can find are sandstone rocks anyhow, so I reckon it will do well there, so long as it is in sun.  It is such a beautiful plant!  Can't wait to grow it from seed though, must get a plant lol.  Ivycroft nursery listed in Plantfinder as having it, so I reckon I'll see if I can get it mail order from them.  Anyone know anything about them?

[Maggi Young]

Chris, I think Ivycroft is one of the nurseries the Galanthophiles source from, so they may be able to tell us more?.........

[ChrisB]

Ah ok.  Thanks for the tip Maggi.  I've written to them so we'll see how I do....

[Kristl Walek]

Chris and Carlo,
Actually, when I used the term "open garden" I meant it in an extremely general way (not "in the border"---because the folks who wrote about it's difficulty had it in "alpine conditions" or "well-drained mean", very-sandy,  or in troughs, finally, out of desperation. And still no go.

One member wrote that it was, in fact thriving in one Canadian prairie garden that he was aware of, in heavy, clay. Many European members had never grown it outside of a pot.

And my opinion is that it would like very good, to heavy (with the emphasis on moisture-retentive) soil at it's roots (the cool deep root run of the crevice garden is surely a plus), and it's head in full sun.

And Chris, don't be too disappointed if your grown plant doesn't thrive---I am also a believer in planting this species out as a small seedling. RMRP, Alplains and myself all carry the seed.

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the help Kristl, I'll try to get a plant here first, but if I cannot, I'll order seed from you.  Getting old in the tooth, need to get plants for instant gratification..... if possible.

[mark smyth]

very very nice! It would go very well with my black flowered Pulsatilla

[ChrisB]

Will it flower at the same time though Mark?

[mark smyth]

pass.

Mike Smith has three year old plants from seed

[ChrisB]

Have they flowered yet?