I have a Jackmanii that has been in the ground for three years. The first two years it wilted just before the flower buds opened. This year it wilted about 2 weeks after it finished blooming.
I've never had a clematis wilt three years in a row, so I'm wondering if maybe I have a dud and should get rid of it.
Jackmanii
well, we may be the only two in the US to have this problem with jackmanii.
in my area, jackmanii is one of the most popular clems, as it is nationwide. i have several plants and have had a lot of wilt with them. i have added jackmanii alba and jackmanii suburba to my collections also and find the same trait to wilt.
i am finally having a bit better success with jackmanii as the plants age a bit.
as i built my collection up to approx 230+ varieties, i grew less obsessed with jackmanii's annual wilt back and just cut it down when it freaks out (almost every year) and settle in at it's own pace....not expecting a lot from it.
so you are not alone.
i have so many clems that exceed expectations i have just come to accept jackmanii's traits. the history of the jackmanii cultivar is so important to the history of all the wonderful cultivars we have today that we have to take the good with the bad. i never advise gardeners to plant jackmanii, and would never have commented on my experiences with it,but felt i should let you know you are not the only one out there disappointed in the jackmanii cultivars available.
just keep it in perspective and let your problem child take it's own time to establish.
I wonder if anyone else has had trouble with Jackmanii, but doesn't talk about it. I purchased Jackmanii superba this year, it was an impulse buy as was Jackmanii.
You must have a large property. I couldn't get 230+ clematis on mine, which is why I'm losing my tolerance for testy plants - I simply don't have enough space.
With all do respect to Jackmanii's history, and especially to those who like it, I'm not all that crazy about it. While it did give a huge flush of blooms, the bloom period was short, and then it was done, sort of like a group B1 except the bloom time is later. Not that that is a bad thing, but it's in a location that needs a better performer.
Would anyone in the Appleton/Green Bay area that has the space and patience like a couple of free Jackmanii?
Mary Toomey a well known clematis expert from the UK, who does a fabulous clematis lecture if you ever have a chance to hear her and meet her has a great way of talking about clems taking up space and just not "giving back" ..she calls it "not paying the rent", that the plant has to give back and pay the rent to keep the space.
i love that analogy and i am sure ll of us have a clem or two we eventually quit with as it is not right for our soil, our aspect, our climate or our patience level.why not put another clems next to the jackmanii....very close and just forget about it....it may like the cozier root space and all of a sudden flourish. if not, you can keep nipping it back when it looks bad and no harm done.