Do Clematis Bloom the Year You Plant Them?

Newly-planted clematis vines usually bloom the following season.

Newly-planted clematis vines usually bloom the following season.

Clematis (Clematis spp.) plants are deciduous or evergreen vines sprouting flowers in various shades and colors. With more than 300 known species, thousands of clematis hybrids are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 11. Clematis varieties are categorized by bloom time and size as early-flowering, large-flowered hybrids and late-flowering. In Mediterranean and other climates, clematis flowers usually appear within a year or two after planting, depending on the plant’s growing cycle and living environment.


Although perennial clematis vines do not grow from bulbs, the plants store energy in the summer and fall for the following season. Fall is the usually the best time for planting, advises Michigan State University Extension, so that roots settle in over the winter. However, ideal planting times vary for different types of clematis. Typically, flowers do not appear the first year. Pruning new vines in the first spring will stunt flower production, but fewer blooms encourage roots, stems and trunks to thicken. Healthy plants should produce numerous flowers in their second season.


Clematis vines may grow from 2 to 12 feet tall, but some varieties such as “Sweet Autumn” (Clematis terniflora) and “Pink Anemone” (Clematis montana), growing in USDA zones 8 and 9, may reach 20 or 30 feet high. Actual growth rates vary, because plants are establishing roots in their first year, notes Clemson University Extension. Vines grow stronger the second year as greenery spreads. Depending on the hybrid, flowers bloom from 4 to 10 inches wide in shades of red, pink, blue, purple, white and multiple colors. Thriving clematis plants may produce about 100 blooms per season.


Early-flowering clematis vines, also called “Category A” or “Group 1,” spur flower buds on the previous season's growth. The plants flower in April or May. Pruning early-flowering clematis just after blooms fade, but no later than the end of July, encourages new growth for the following season. Large-flowered mid-season hybrids, noted as “Category B” or “Group 2” clematis, bloom on short stems from the previous season's growth. Vines produce flowers in mid June and often again in late summer. Prune large-flowered hybrids in February or March. “Category C” or “Group 3” clematis are late-flowering plants, producing blooms on current-season greenery. Some late-flowering clematis vines start to bloom in mid June and continue through autumn. Prune them in February or March.


Clematis plants can live 25 years or longer in the right environmental conditions. Vines thrive in bright sunlight for six hours a day and cool, well-draining soil with neutral pH at around 7.0. If necessary, amend soil with bone meal or superphosphate before planting, suggests University of California Master Gardeners. Support structures such as fences, trellises and stakes allow clematis vines to twine, curl and cling. Keep the soil wet, but not overly saturated.


Clematis vines are susceptible to leaf spot and powdery mildew. Leaf spot, also called clematis wilt (Ascochyta clematidina), occurs when part of the plant collapses. Stems and leaves turn black and die. Remove dead and damaged stems as necessary. Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) is a white fungal coating on upper parts of leaves which then wilt and turn brown. Reducing humidity, increasing air circulation and removing infected foliage helps to control powdery mildew.

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