Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day +1: Clematis heracleifolia

Clematis heracleifolia

Regular readers know I love clematis, but I wasn't sure about the Clematis heracleifolia I planted in VP Gardens a while ago. In fact, I'd mentally decided to replace it with something more garden worthy earlier this summer.

Of course that meant it's since pulled out the stops and is flowering beautifully for my slightly later than usual Blooms Day this month. I guess like many of its clematis cousins it subscribes to the Sleep, Creep, Leap method of garden establishment.

This clematis is herbaceous rather than the more familiar climber grown, and flowers late summer and into the autumn. The leaves are quite different too, and it's only when the individual flowers in each hyacinth-like cluster are examined more closely, that its clematis heritage is seen more clearly.

The RHS describes it as a sub-shrub, and the true-blue flowers are borne in clusters on stems of around 3 to 4 feet in length. These are currently threading through and filling in the gaps in my upper terrace bed. I've also seen it looking more shrub-like recently as an end of bed plant in one of the new borders at Lacock Abbey.

On balance, I think it can stay in my garden, especially as I saw it was attractive to a number of good-guy hoverflies recently. It's also reported to be lightly scented, though I haven't found that to be the case so far as my specimen is just out of reach of my nose.

What do you think? Would you find room for it in your garden?

Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Clematis heracleifolia at Lacock Abbey
A shrubby looking Clematis heracleifolia at Lacock Abbey last month

Comments

  1. Anna16 September 2018 at 17:51

    Most pretty VP. I have clematis stans which is quite similar, albeit the flowers are more of a lavender colour. It's funny how plants suddenly start to perform when you've been considering drastic action.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP19 September 2018 at 16:00

      Thanks Anna - I hadn't come across C. stans before. It looks more of a white in the online photos I've found...

      Delete
  2. Casa Mariposa17 September 2018 at 01:51

    Very cool! I like it and would find a spot for it. :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP19 September 2018 at 16:01

      It'd be fab for the pollinators in your new garden Tammy, though perhaps you want to focus on more native plants for them?:)

      Delete
  3. Lea17 September 2018 at 08:18

    Very unusual - I would not have guessed it was a Clematis! Keep it!
    Happy Belated Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Arun Goyal17 September 2018 at 09:47

    Beautiful clematis plant,the blooms are alike hyacinth bulbous plant ...Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP19 September 2018 at 16:03

      The clusters have got even more hyacinth like since I took the photo Arun. Most of those buds you can see are now in bloom :)

      Delete
  5. Pauline17 September 2018 at 18:19

    I bought one a few years ago after seeing and smelling it in a garden a few years ago. I'm so glad I did as the perfume is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP19 September 2018 at 16:04

      I must contrive to get my nose closer then Pauline. Clambering through the garden is out of the question at the moment, but soon... :)

      Delete
  6. Emily5 October 2018 at 09:13

    Thanks for such an informative post. Those buds are absolutely gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete

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