Q: When I was younger, we had a purple clematis that bloomed in May while I was still in school. The other day, I saw a clematis that was in full bloom at the end of June. It was pretty, so I looked into clematis, and there are so many different groups and pruning methods that I am really confused. How can I get a spring and a summer blooming clematis?
A: Clematis vines have been called the queen of the vines, but there are some species of clematis that are perennials and some that are shrubs. There are between 300 and 400 species depending on who you read, and there are probably over 1,000 varieties and crosses. The genus can be divided into many categories, such as large flowers versus small flowers, evergreen or deciduous, vine versus shrub, spring flowering or fall flowering or both, and so on. The most important categories gardeners need to know are flowering time and pruning time.
