Improved ‘Clematis vitalba’: more pronounced flowers, somewhat denser foliage. Robust, healthy and assertive, but probably not quite as resilient as ‘Clematis vitalba’. For High Vertical Greening up to approx. 10 metres. As a cultivar, Clematis ‘Paul Farges’ is no longer a ‘native’ clematis...
(lat.: Clematis fargesioides, also Clematis ‘Summer Snow’, cultivar, bred in 1964 in the former Soviet Union / Crimea from Cl. potaninii and Cl. vitalba)
Plant vitalba in a shaded to sunny location; soil should be humus-rich and well drained. The plant is very heat resistant. Distance between plants: 2 to 4 metres.
A petiole (leaf tendril) climber, this clematis has an incredibly strong growth (up to 10 metres in height or more), and also exhibits a trailing (overhanging) habit. Foliage from May to October. Long-lasting abundance of flowers from June to September. Seed heads are beautiful and fine and are the inspiration for this clematis' common name-- 'old man's beard.' Clematis vitalba belongs to 'pruning group 3' and must be cut down to 20 - 60 cm above the ground at the end of the year. When greening a taller facade, however, do away with hard pruning. Instead, the focus should be on building up or maintaining the framework, which is shortened and thinned out every year.
These clematis will need a trellis with a fine-meshed (30 - 50 cm) grid. If you don't plan on pruning the plant regularly, the meshes can be even larger, as the main function of the trellis is to hold the trunk of the plant. See below for suitable cable systems. Our easy (basic and basic-s) designs are strong enough, but the mediumstyle range allows for better development of the plant. If your trellis is high, the heavy / massive design should be considered.
