Hi I am looking for clematis advice. I live in the Dallas, Texas area and would like to grow some clematis vines. The area where I would grow them is under large deciduous trees where they would get only some dappled sun. Help suggesting varieties is greatly appreciated.
Dallas area advice
I'm sure someone will chime in eventually, Siggy. I'm not sure about the dappled shade, a lot of mine get 6 - 8 hours of sun, and 2 others about 4 - 6. I'm assuming in Garland you have much different soil than I have on the edge of the piney woods, so you need someone else to chime in on that. (Garland is my hometown.)
Irwells, The clematis will be in a bed of nice sandy loam..which is nothing like the black gumbo that males up most of my yard. Which clematis is the most shade tolerant ?
I'm definitely not the one to ask, but maybe ClematisGuru will see this and help you out. She's definitely the expert. Or there are several in the Texas forum that have clematis. One of mine that's in a lot of shade is General Sikorski, which I thinkl I saw on North Haven's clematis list. I have another one also, but it doesn't bloom as much, plus I don't know what the name of it is. It's kind of hidden behind a gardenia.
the part about the under trees may be vexing, and i am really not up on the nuances of texas. that said, water is key. assuming you have irrigation in the plan?
also hard to advise on "dappled sunshine". gauging level of sun difficult. in my zone, the level of sun in april can be "dappled" and in june, too shady for plant to maximize. i have made this mistake over and over. in one case ended up taking out a large , old crabapple tree after i had designed the area for some clems and realized my mistake. that is extreme, best to plan according to mid summer shade level.
my favorite shade lover is hagley hybrid. another popular one, you might like if you like stargazer lilly effect, is nelly moser. both hold bloom color in dappled or partial shade and bleach out in full sun.
best to check with local sources and resources.......most clems can take some shade, which is a nice feature of the group. hagley hybrid has a precious little inky blue spot at the base of the sepals, which if planted in too much sun does not show up. am attaching a 08 hagley photo, hope that precious little inky blue spot shows up in the photo...this clem is also known, and sold as, as "pink chiffon" in some areas. good luck and have fun. remember gardening is a series of mistakes you learn from, and can hopefully afford and get pleasure from.
Thanks guru. I am and have always been willing to learn through mistakes ;-) But it's nice to get a little direction first. So I shall take this advice and start experimenting to see what works.
I am sure if you google it too you might come up with some good results. Maybe use "clematis for part shade?"
Guru - Hagley Hybrid is one of my choices for my tuteur if I find it......however mine would be in full sun...would it still retain its pink colour? I don't care so much for the blue spot but I am looking for something pinky. Thanks.
dawn, i would not put hagley in full sun. the blooms, fade , look very ordinary and do not last long even worse. she is great in shady, dappled if you will conditions.i would look at abundane (she is one of the ones i left in the box by accident for 6 weeks, so i have one on reorder or margaret hunt, a great clem for me ....it may be described as lavendar, but they are a pinky lpinky lavendar with a very long lasting little fade bloom.
siggy, water will be one of the issues with yourplanned spot...trees drink a lot of water, no?
have fun!
I sorry I should have explained better. They will go into these raised beds. That's why they will have nice soil. And they will be irrigated The beds face North. This picture was taken in the winter, before the trees leafed out.
Siggy, I'd recommend a trip to North Haven Gardens. They should be able to tell you what is best for our area. As a matter of fact, I think most of mine were purchased there. They probably don't carry anything that won't survive our summers.
beds look great for shade loving clems. should be a lovely display. i bet it will be really beautiful. some low bloomers would be great in the front of the other to drape a bit on the retailing wall. low bloomers, or letting some clems sprawl on the wall in front of your taller structures.
consider: john warren. multiblue. some of the evison patio clems ...check selection for thos that can take shade....
Can I chime in too? Siggy, you've have a beautiful home and landscaped areas. So many possibilities comes to mind. I can see the herbaceous Clematis hanging over your raised beds and tutors supporting the climbing varities. You have endless possibilities!
Definitely check with your local nurseries as to what grows best in your area. If you are looking for Clematis that are shade loving, you can't go wrong by planting white or light colored varieities. They do best in part shade because the sun would bleach out their tepals.
I can't wait to see that area planted and I look forward to your pictures.
Thanks all for the great ideas! I'm going to have fun with this one. Something those of you in the north may not realize is that many times plants classified as full sun are actually partial sun here. Our summers can be intense. My first stop will be Northhaven.