Clematis viticella 'Blue Belle'

Family: Ranunculaceae
Pronounced: KLEM-uh-tiss   vy-ti-SEL-la

 

Quick Jumps

Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes

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GROWING GUIDE

Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Vines.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: A3, 2b-9, 14-17.
USDA zones: 3-9.
Heat zones: 9-5.
Mature size:
Height: 10-13 feet (3-4 m).
Flowering period:
Midsummer to early autumn.
Flowering attributes:
Single, saucer-shaped, somewhat, nodding flowers have dark violescent-purple tepals. In the center of the bloom are white filaments and yellow anthers.
Leaf attributes:
Deciduous, dark green leaves.
Light:
Partial shade to full sun.
Soil:
Fertile, humus rich, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
For best results, feed once a month with a complete organic fertilizer during the growing season.
Propagation Methods:
Layer branches in late winter.
Basal and softwood cuttings in spring.
Division in spring.
Semi-ripe cuttings in early summer.
Pruning Methods:
Pruning group 3 or C.

 

Rainy Side Notes

Clematis 'Blue Belle' looks equally at home growing up into large shrubs or small trees, creeping around as ground covers, or spilling out of containers. Their mid-summer to autumn flowers freshen any waning garden, with oodles of deep violescent-purple blossoms.

Sources conflict about who raised this cultivar of unknown parentage. Some claim Ernest Markham was the one, while others say it was the Jackmans of Woking (of Clematis 'Jackmanii’ fame) around the mid-1920s. Years later, the vine was thought to be lost to cultivation. Fortunately, someone found a clone growing in Canada in the 1980s and Raymond Evison reintroduced it back into the trade. I believe it is one of the prettier viticella cultivars. The large flowers, long bloom period, and hardy vigorous growth make it a perfect vine for beginning gardeners to grow with success.

If you have clematis wilt disease plaguing your garden, plant any of the viticellas—the disease does not affect them. Since they flower on the current season's growth, in late winter cut the vine back to within 18 inches of the ground. Some gardeners prune them in late autumn, to tidy up their garden beds—either pruning time will work.

More Clematis.

Planting and Care of Clematis.

Photographed at Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon.