Mountain clematis

Clematis montana

Vigorous Himalayan deciduous clematis with masses of small white or pink four-petalled flowers smothering the plant in late spring. The earliest and most reliably free-flowering of the large clematis species.

Hardiness ratings

Mountain clematis hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 6–9 −23.3 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H5 −15 °C to −10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 6–8 −18 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 2–6 −10 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Plant against a large wall, tree, or pergola — vigorous, capable of covering 6 m × 6 m within a few years
  • Flowers May — among the earliest reliably mass-flowering climbers, a key spring seasonal marker
  • Cultivar ‘Rubens’ (pink) and ‘Grandiflora’ (large white) are the standard garden forms
  • Pruning Group 1 — flowers on previous year’s wood, prune lightly only after flowering

Pet caution: Mountain clematis is listed as potentially harmful to cats and/or dogs. Keep pets from grazing on it, and contact a vet if you suspect your animal has eaten some.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Mountain clematis against your zones

Reference

Mountain clematis on Wikipedia