When to plant and prune Clematis
Clematis (large-flowered hybrids & species)
Pruning group is everything with clematis: prune a Group 1 (montana-type) hard in winter and you cut off all of this year's flowers; leave a Group 3 (viticella-type) unpruned and it becomes bare and leggy with flowers out of reach. Always check the group for your variety. Rule of thumb: flowers before June = don't hard prune; flowers from late June onwards = prune hard in February.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| East Anglia | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Northern England | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Northern Ireland | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | mid September to late October | early May to early October | late January to late February |
How to prune it
Timing depends entirely on which pruning group your variety belongs to — choose it below.
Severity: moderate.
Feeding
Annual spring mulch of organic matter is usually enough in the ground; containers benefit from liquid feed spring-summer.
At a glance
- Type
- Climber
- Hardiness
- H5
- Eventual height
- 3.0 m
- Eventual spread
- 1.0 m
- Years to maturity
- 3
- Spacing
- 90 cm
- Sun
- Partial shade
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, moist but well-drained; roots must be kept cool and shaded ('head in sun, feet in shade')
- Evergreen
- No
- Pollinator value
- 3 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 45 litres or more
- Difficulty
- Medium
Safety
Sap can irritate skin; mildly toxic if ingested.
Growing notes
Shade the roots with paving, low planting or a slate mulch — clematis dislike a hot, dry root run even though the top can be in full sun.
What usually goes wrong
- clematis wilt
- powdery mildew
- aphids
- earwigs
- slime flux on pruned stems
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.