Always Growing

This post, “Clematis Crispa” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana 

This past March I attended a local garden show and purchased Clematis crispa, a small, bell-shaped flowered clematis.  It is native to the southeastern U.S.  I saw this plant about five years ago, but it was not for sale.  Since I like to have native plants in the garden because they usually do very well, I was on the lookout for this one.  Luckily, I was able to finally acquire one.  Many cleamtis do not do very well here, esp. the large-flowered ones.  So I have great hopes for this one.  It is supposed to be a fairly easy plant to grow.  What I have read says that it dies down to the ground in winter, so no pruning is needed.  It also is said to have no wilt problems and have attractive seed heads.

It has its first flower, and there is another bud waiting to open.  So, I am thinking that it must be happy were it is planted.  This clematis is only supposed to grow six to ten feet, but I have a feeling it may get taller.  It already has grown over the eight foot trellis it  is planted near, and I have had to gently twine it back on itself.  I do not think this is a prolific bloomer, but I will happy with the little blue bells I do get.