Clematis The President ( (2.5'POT STARTER PLANT) flowered Vine

Clematis ‘The President’ is a best-seller for good reason! Everyone loves its big, beautiful blooms, hardy disposition, and a climbing habit that is vigorous, yet not overactive. The large flowers feature a saturated purple hue that pops against the dark-green foliage. These gorgeous flowers bloom from June through September, enticing bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to their spiky purple anthers at the center.

A must-have vine in Zones 4-9, clematis The President is perfect for growing up a tall trellis, fence, or artistic obelisk trellis. The non-stop summer bloom makes these a perfect focal point for entryways, decks, patios, and showcase gardens. This clematis variety can reach heights up to 12’, so it requires sturdy support, but is not such a vigorous grower that it overpowers its neighbors or trellises.

The President Clematis Care

A classic clematis in both looks and care, The President requires shaded roots and sun-drenched leaves to look its best. Pune, mulch and fertilize every spring. Plant in well-drained soil and avoid over-watering. Keep consistently moist, watering when the top 1-2” of soil is dry to the touch. Provide a trellis or support for it’s climbing growth habit.

The President clematis is in pruning group 2, which means it blooms on both new and old growth. Prune after the first flush of flowers have faded to encourage a new batch of blooms. Prune again in late winter or early spring to keep the plant tidy, healthy, and in flower.

The President Clematis Spacing

Clematis The President is a vigorous climber, so provide room for this vine to grow. Plant 2’ apart from other plants.

Group One: These Clematis only flower on the previous season’s growth. That means whatever growth is made before winter will be the growth that has the flowers. DON’T prune this group in winter because you will be cutting off all your flowers!

Group Two: These Clematis flower on both previous seasons growth and new growth. Prune lightly in winter to big buds making sure to cut out all weak, cluttered and dead growth. After the spring flowering, prune again to remove all the spent flowers to encourage a fresh set of flowers in summer. If the plant is sparse, prune harder to encourage branching. Feed after each pruning to encourage new growth. (This group includes most of the Large Flowered Hybrid Clematis. )

Group Three: These Clematis only flower on new growth and require hard pruning in winter to encourage new growth. Some will naturally die down to the ground. They tend to flower later in the season, around November onwards and are terrific during Summer and Autumn. This group includes the viticellas, texensis and herbaceous varietie