Clematis napaulensis plants wanting homes!

[SueG]

I've got some spare seedlings of this rather nice winter flowering, summer dormant clematis which are looking for good homes. Grows happily for me outside and flowers well, it began flowering in January and is still going strong. Flowers a bit like C balearica, but more bell like and they have a bunch of purple stamens which stick out of the bottom of the bell, followed by the usual fluffy seedheads. It looses it's ferny leaves in June/July time but they are back in the early autumn.
Happy to post them to anyone who has a few square inches of space!
Sue

[Maggi Young]

I would like to try it, Sue. Do you think it would be okay outside up here? Won't get too much in the way of summer dry but I could try it under the eaves of the house for a bit of protection. Would that work, do you think?

[David Shaw]

Sue, if you think Maggie & Ian can grow it Carol & I would like to give it a try, also. Traditionally we have a drier summer than Maggie although that seems to be changing!

[Lesley Cox]

Obviously you're not going to be sending plants to NZ Sue, but I wonder would you give me some advice please. I've had this species about 8 years on the shady side of a windbreak fence and it grows well but has never flowered. Does it perhaps need more sun? And I have to say that it is just about evergreen, losing a few leaves in winter but quite green in summer. I'd think maybe I had the wrong plant but the seed was from Chris Chadwell who should know. Very pretty ferny, almost lacy foliage.

[SueG]

Hi Lesley
Mine is in a huge terracotta pot outside my back door along with several other things. It faces somewhat west of southwest so gets quite a lot of sun but it shaded by the walls of my back yard and house for the later part of the day. I've had it for about 4 years and it looses its leaves in mid summer and looks dead but greens up again after about 6 weeks. Frost doesn't seem to hurt it, prolonged frost makes the foliage droop a bit but it perks up once it's gone.
I wonder whether it needs some sun to promote flower buds. I know it did take a year or so to produce any flowers at all and it is gradually getting more each year. Otherwise I've got no answers for you I'm afraid. Maybe someone else has some ides?
Sue

[Anthony Darby]

Sounds like a nice plant? I take it is not susceptible to clematis wilt?

[SueG]

Hi Anthony

Sounds like a nice plant? I take it is not susceptible to clematis wilt?

I've not seen that - so couldn't swear to it (swear at it - yes)

Sue

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Sue, I'll try cutting it back and pushing the stems through to the sunny side of the sunny side, leaving the root in the shade. That might help, but if not, I'll give it a good kick.

[Lesley Cox]

Anthony, generally in my own experience, Clematis species don't get wilt, it seems to be the large-flowered hybrids which suffer most but a very successful remedy, is any of the fungus products based on Trichoderma species (fungi themselves) and sold here as Trichopel et al. You'll have other brand names I expect. They really work and applied at the time of planting, eliminate Clematis wilt and many other fungus conditions totally.

[Anthony Darby]

Thanks Lesley, that's the kind of succinct useful info that makes this web site so brilliant. I love it.

[Susan]

Lesley, I have had this for years and it is only in the last couple of years that it has started to flower.  It has feet in shade, but grows into an oak and sundry other trees, and appears to thrive on neglect here.  It only started flowering really,  once I forgot about it and left it to its own devices.  I then discovered it flowering quite by accident. It is certainly evergreen here.

Susan (about 5 km away as the crow flies?)

[Lesley Cox]

Maybe a little more Susan, let's say about 9. From here, it's 18kms to the railway station via the southern motorway and 22 by way of 3 mile hill, so probably about 17 to your place. I'll measure it some day.

[Maggi Young]

about 5 km away as the crow flies?)

I thought you Dunedin types measured things by how the Albatross flies?

[Lesley Cox]

Only when at see Maggi.

[Lesley Cox]

Oh dear, I'm all at sea here. Sea, sea, sea.