Hello all-
I have had this Clem for years, and it was labeled Clematis triternata 'Rubromarginata'. From what I can see on this site and google, C. triternata has entire margins, and the leaves on mine have pointy serrations. The leaves are slightly purple, but the stems are purple. It is extremely vigorous!
Any ideas?
Thanks for your help!
Your leaves remind me of those on my montana Grandiflora. I have the Rubromarginata and the leaves are not the same as on the Grandiflora.
Check out the leaves in this photo by kniphofia on Plant Files:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/215942/
The only thing is that mine has double the serration of C. montana. The 'Grandiflora' flower petals are also much wider than my mystery Clem.
The flower looks much more like C. triternata 'Rubromarginata', but none of the pics I can find has the purple stem and the serrated leaves.
After much time spent surfing online pics, it appears that there is much variation in montana leaves. Some pics show heavy serration, and some have almost entire margins. The only pic I found anywhere of purple stems is, embarrassingly enough, on DG: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/105887/ I have 'Grandiflora' as well, and its leaves look very different, so go figure.
Thanks so much for your help, pirl!
The photo was that of Rubens and isn't it amazing that no two flowers on the link you posted, look the same?
This photo of Rubromarginata by docgipe doesn't show red stems at all!
It is massively confusing.
After this I'll post the photo of the Donahue's plant stick that came with my plant and it's too difficult to see the color of the stems there. Tomorrow, in the sunshine, I can take a photo of the stems but, being almost winter, it may not be the true color as when they're normally in bloom.
Donahue's plant stick.
Isn't it odd? Some of the pictures show flowers with 5 petals instead of four. Does the number of petals vary with Clematis flowers?
I took of pic of mine just now, attached below. Still purple, with woody older stems. The photo link was indeed of rubens.
In which months does it flower? Typically the Alpinas and Atragenes - Rubromarginata is supposed to be an Atragene (sp?) flowers during April to June and are pruning group 1.
The flowers don't look like Rubromarginata to me - more like Terniflora, which from what I am reading has a nice scent and also it flowers August -September - and is also a pruning group 3.
I'm impressed by your purple stems! Now I'm really curious about my own stems.
Here's a photo of mine taken 8/25/2010, first year for it. Please pardon my filthy nails but I am a gardener.
Carolyn - I agree. Plantaholic186's doesn't look like the flower or leaves on mine.
I know it's not C. terniflora: that definitely has entire margins on its leaflets. Also, the flowers on mine aren't clustered like on a terniflora, and the petals are more than twice as long as the stamen.
Mine blooms early summer, with a second, weaker flush around July/August. I don't hack it because I want it to smother a fence.
I'm leaning heavily toward C. montana 'Rubens'.
pirl, I'll send you a cutting : )
I'm leaning towards agreeing with you! See, when it opens (the first day) if you can get a photo of it to compare it to the other Rubens photos.
My Henryi opens with a very green stripe but two days later it's gone. Now, I know yours is not a Henryi but perhaps the color changes slightly over time or depending on the sunshine yours gets.
For the montana I have I will no longer feed it. It is, indeed, a monster, which is the loosely translated "montana" from the French. Mine does want to cover the fence, the lawn, the driveway and the house and my body if I stood still out there for 10 minutes.
Thanks!
My Henryi changes as well, which makes it difficult to differentiate from 'Alabaster' and 'Moonlight'. To compound the issue, I tend to move things around a lot, and forget to make a note of what I put where! And I have never fed the montana, aside from soil amendment when I planted it 4 years ago, and it seems to do just fine- it'll put on 7-8' in a season, easily. But such a lovely monster : )
The monsters do have their own beauty. Mine grows much more than 7 or 8" - I have photos somewhere of how it covers the grill, I cut it back, it grows over the grill again, etc. That silly routine is repeated too often from May to November. The trimming in this photo only took 15 minutes but it has to be done so often.
I don't have either 'Moonlight' or 'Alabaster' but it's easy to watch the strong pink stripes fading on 'Nelly Moser'.
Perhaps it's trying to help you diet? ; )
I'll say, though, I lloooooove pruning, so a good hacking fills my heart with joy (doesn't say good things about me, does it?). I have C. fargesioides and that thing is almost worth ripping out! It does have great Sweet Autumn-type flowers earlier in the summer, though.
If it's trying to help me diet then it's just not working hard enough.
I love pruning, too, but mainly when I have the time and that's one thing gardeners don't seem to have in excess. Now it will remain tamed for the winter. I do love it in May! This was taken in May of 2010 and now the trellis can't be seen.
Oh, how gorgeous! It's so worth the work, isn't it?
Personally, my diet is helped by a willow bush that I'm foolishly trying to keep carved into a pillar shape. That involves an 8' ladder every other week!
It really is. There are other clematises along that fence, five others at last count, so it makes a lovely display at the end of May. The photo above is how it appears from the outside of the dog's pen but here you can see how nice it also is looking at it from within the dog's pen.
Does C. fargesioides spread seed as much as Sweet Autumn? If it's well behaved and doesn't throw seed I just might buy a few to cover another area.
This is exciting (for me): http://www.caladiumbulbs4less.com/servlet/the-Dwarfs/Categories
Arlene/pirl
Your dogs are lucky creatures! I hope they appreciate the beauty around them.
Funny you should mention the seed spreading.... I've had one Sweet Autumn for 5 years, and several others in other spots for a couple of years, and only this summer did they start seeding all over the place. I've never had this problem before! And those boogers are rooted in well. I have yet to see any seedlings from fargesioides, but ask me in a few years, and I'll let you know.
Caladiums, eh? Lovely plants. I've never been able to work with them; they're so wonderfully tropical. And congrats on the photo; your Miss Muffet is beautiful!
Meegan
My true obsession:
Meegan - I'm jealous. It's just that easy. I only have two JM's and though I love the spring color on Scolopendrifolium, I find Garnet is too boring for me. It's the same color spring and most of fall.
Tell me the names, please!
Arlene, I've emailed you my response since we've gotten soooo off topic!
Although, here's a pic of my Henryi this past June:
Thanks. I got it and replied. Off topic is half the fun of DG!
Well, if that isn't "perfect placement" then I don't know what is! How beautiful.
