Indoor Conservatory Clematis Growers?

Growing Morning Glories indoors through the winter has become my habit. I was wondering about folks who may be growing Clematis permanently indoors. The search feature for clematis forums has been disabled and so I wanted to see if anyone has done it or is doing it. Or if it can be done.

I just ordered a few more to jump start indoors for next season. I have many kinds of Clematis in the garden, and wondered about just keeping these inside to befriend the Morning Glories. I have an HPS 1,000 watt light but wonder about the impact of total lack of seasons.... I could allow them to go dormant in the garage for a brief time each winter in their containers but am curious as to specific schedules. I'm checking around but thought I'd also check with my DG experts as well.

A few of the most mature Clematis I've bought came from an out of the way place on the outskirts where one would go to buy bulk mulch and rock. A couple of older ladies had cared for them and sold them to me for $17 each. These huge vines looked like they had been growing and blooming and thriving for years inside these large heated greenhouses. They did have some wilt first year in, but I wondered if they'd been better off undisturbed. so inside permanent Clematis displays....

any thoughts? Thanks.

here is something I found on another forum, a book review on the subject. sounds difficult but Evison thinks it's possible... I'll have to check the book out.


The one thing I am very skeptical about in this book is the claims he makes in the chapter entitled, Clematis for Indoors. Knowing what the cultural requirements for growing clematis are, I would suggest that attempting to grow them indoors would at best be risky and at least take a lot of effort. My personal experience with attempting to grow a C. Viennetta indoors was less than a success.

As it turns out, according to the author, your indoor clematis’ still need to spend a majority of their life either outdoors, in a greenhouse or in a conservatory to receive the cultural requirements that would possibly permit them to bloom indoors. The hoops you would have to jump through to possibly grow his clematis indoors may not be worth the effort.

The “indoor” clematis’ from Raymond’s collection have been originally grown in state-of- the-art greenhouses. When you purchase one and you bring it indoors, it must acclimate to completely different surroundings such as considerably less lighting, dry heat, air conditioning and/or a lack of humidity. If you are fortunate enough to have a conservatory or own a greenhouse, you might want to give his plants a try. My experience though is that trying to grow clematis’ as well as any other plant that is traditionally an outdoor plant, indoors is playing Russian Roulette with your plant’s welfare.


makes sense. but is also perhaps worth a try, as is everything with flowers. It worked for the ladies at the mulch place....

more info: (Sweet Autumn Clematis)

Rather later in the spring there is another most desirable evergreen clematis that you can grow. This is the New Zealand clematis, Clematis paniculata. It needs a frost-free area and a warm wall. To be quite sure you should grow it in a conservatory. The Victorians loved it and it filled their conservatories. So much so that wives were liable to say to husbands “You have a choice – that plant or me!”

A link to Evison's thoughts on conservatory Clematis growing. The future looks brighter than the past.

http://books.google.com/books?id=KqDulVfD_WcC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=conservatory+clematis&source=web&ots=yVYLs2jHtg&sig=n3CZkA2dp_7Nc98Rz_XZntWdQdU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA118,M1

Soulja:

Yes, you can have the smaller growing Clematis varieties indoor given the proper type of lighting & temperature control. Roy Evison, has developed "patio Clematis", which are only 4-6 ft in height and are perfect for containers. I would only consider these smaller growing Clematis for growing indoors or in containers. All the other varieties should be planted outdoors for maximum growth & flowering potential.

I don't believe in growing Clematis & Morning Glories together. They would compete for root development, growth, food, water and vertical space. Of course, it depends on which Clematis you choose as to its growth potential & vigor. Personally, I would not plant these two vines together because they would constantly be in competition with on another. Just my 2 cents worth!

Please look in Plant Files on feedback about Sweet Autumn Clematis, especially grown in the southern states. It is too vigorous, aggressive and re-seeds itself all over my garden. It's a thug!!! I can't get rid of this vine and believe you me, I've tried!!!

Hi Shirley. Yes I have Sweet Autumn outside too and I keep it cut pretty low. My MGs would have their own space and containers but would be grown on similar spiral trellises as the Clematis. Here are the 4 kinds Evison recommends for conservatory growing.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.raymondevisonclematis.com/main/imageProcessor.aspx%3FimageID%3D175%26imageType%3D13&imgrefurl=http://www.raymondevisonclematis.com/main/catalogue.asp&usg=__YkLIxTn_Yd0WV2b1vAMmK06aIsE=&h=378&w=300&sz=26&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=6vOZvPEyDJyP4M:&tbnh=122&tbnw=97&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dindoor%2Bclematis%2Bimages%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DX

Soulja: Here is more information about the shorter growing Clematis. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgardens/270687_clematis20.html?source=rss