Most clematis I see are for Zones 4-9 --will this plant do well in 11, if irrigated and in the shade?
Will Clematis grow in the tropics?
I have no idea. You are the first person I have seen ask this. I say go for it. If it is in shade then it should be happy. I know they prefer to have their roots shaded anyways. Let us know how it works if you do it. :~)
Aloha,
The one time I planted Clematis it did very poorly for a few months and then gave up the ghost...it was planted in the shade and did have penty of irrigation. I don't know if it fizzled out because of me, but I won't be buying another one - so sad to see it struggle.
I am man enough to watch a plant struggle --done it so many times, DW says I should start a garden hospice service-- so I'll try it.
LOL JP! Will be watching to see how you do with it, it would be very nice to be able to have such a dainty vine instead of the usual bright colored monsters we have here.
Do let us know how you get on...
Jen
I live in the Dominican Republic, zone 12 ? and had a clematis delivered via an online site. It is in its 3rd year now and in June for the first time has two flowers. When I first got it I put white stones around its roots to reflect the sun and keep the compost in the pot cool. At first it grew fast to about 2 feet high then wilted and seemingly died. However the next year it came back and did the same thing. Any sign of sun on it and it starts to wilt. This year it survives in bright shade and no way will it allow sun on it at all or it wilts. It managed to reach about 3 feet high and has produced the 2 flowers. Now knowing where it likes it i'm hoping next year for it to grow higher and produce more flowers.
Try Googling for Clematis for warm zones. I know some will do ok, while others need the winter chill.
The amount of work to keep them going takes the joy out of having them. They don't like the humidity very well. Although there is someone here on DG that lives in the Miami area that has them, but for me (central west coast) I have lost 12 of them, I'm down to two now and it looks like this season will be their last.
Jan
It isn't humid here at all! I have two that are in their third year. They survive, but certainly don't flourish.
OCCAROL
How is Santa Ana these days? I use to be at the EL Toro Marine base, but I've heard they closed the base down, wonder what they did with all that base housing?
Jan
The base is now becoming "The Great Park", and has been for 5 yrs. As they develope around it, the "park" seems to shrink. As to the base housing, I don't know. Last time I drove thru there, they had done nothing with the land. The UC Irvine has a campus there, but I don't know what else has happened. The Dirigable base has become "low income" housing, shopping centers, and last I heard, the hangers were going to become either sports centers or museums. It's all between the developers and the politicians of the moment. Since the base shut down the whole area of farmland around it has been developed. I quit reading the paper because it depresses the He.. out of me!
I live in zone 11. I have a clematis ive struggled to grow this past 3 years. This year it bloomed 3 flowers for the first time. I found that it hates this tropical sun. Since ive kept it in the shade it has grown and flowered.
Occarol, sorry to be so long in coming back to see your reply, Oh this is depressing news of ElToro. Those hangers were/are incredible and I hope they can be preserved, if for nothing else to show where the blimps where housed during the war. I can see the housing being turned into low income as for the low ranked enlised it was hardly liveable back in the late 70's. Politicians in general depress me so I get why you had to quit the paper...
Thanks so much for the update on the place, I'm glad I'm not there to see the breakdown of the place.
Jan
HA! We're talking "low income" according to So. Cal. standards. They tore all the base housing down and the developers did their thing. They do want to preserve the hangars, but hadn't decided what to do with them last I heard.
Carol
Carol, should you ever find yourself in that area with a camera I sure would love to see pictures of it... that is if you wouldn't mind, and only if you happen to be in the area.
Gosh, I loved my base housing with all the windows that I had and looking at the snow capped mountains out them. But like I said I sure don't miss living were the ground shakes, as now I just live where the winds blow you around, at least it is only when a TS/hurricane is on its way through and there is always plenty of time to outrun it.
thanks for the update.
Jan
Clematis vitalba. Try this one in the shade.
Regards,
Masud.
Masud,
What a wonderful plant! Thanks, I will look for one.