Clematis is in the buttercup family called Ranunculaceae and there are about 300 species in the genus. They are mostly woody climbing vines that are quite fragile the first several years after planting. They are sorted into numerous groups each with many varieties to choose from and you can spend lots of time perusing the lovely choices in garden catalogs. The leaves and stalks twist and curl around supporting structures when climbing. I have found they need a little assistance to travel properly on a trellis lest they bunch up in one place. They are also often used for archways and on pergolas. The cooler climate species are perennials while the warmer climate species are evergreen; the former require little pruning whereas the later require heavier pruning after the blooming season. Their feet like cool moist well-drained soil but above ground they prosper in full sun. Creating this environment requires protecting the ground around them with other shallow rooted plants or several inches of mulch. The spring variety bloom off side shoots of the previous year’s stems and the summer/fall variety bloom on the ends of new stems. They come in shades of red, pink, blue and purple along with white and their leaves serve as food for caterpillars. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese origin and in England came to symbolize mental beauty and art along with poverty. Some varieties serve medicinal purposes but one must be careful as many varieties can be toxic. They are vulnerable to typical pests and diseases among them fungus, viruses, powdery mildew, slugs, snails, aphids, earwigs and spider mites.
I was surprised to learn some folks consider Morning Glories invasive but have quickly learned why as I must daily pluck volunteers out of my rock bed and when I miss a few in my perennial bed they quickly choke off all other flowers near them. As such, make sure you snip dead flowers before they turn to seedpods and reseed themselves to high heaven, if not this season, next. That must be why I have so many volunteers as I didn’t plant any this year. They are low maintenance and supposedly bloom from early summer to the first frost. In my south facing yard they seem to bloom later than my Clematis so I don’t mind them climbing and blooming on my trellis as the Clematis finish blooming. They grow and propagate quickly as either climbers or ground cover, have slender twining stems, heart shaped leaves and bloom in shades of pink, blue, purple, magenta and white. They are morning bloomers, hence their name, with large lovely circular fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Morning glories have an invasive perennial cousin called “field bindweed/creeping jenny” which grow in a similar manner but send out deep roots which make them difficult to eradicate. Their leaves are smaller and more linear and they only bloom in pink and white.
Several years ago, a friend gave me a Trumpeter Plant start that finally took off this year. Native to South and Central America and called the angel trumpet plant, it is a semi-woody broadleaf drought tolerant shrub that can reach 15 feet in height. It produces large hanging trumpet shaped flowers in shades of red-orange that can reach 12 inches in length. They are zoned for 8-12 hardiness so their size, leaves and blooms are smaller in our upper Midwest climate. They like both well drained amended soil (mulch/peat moss) and full sun to prosper. They also do well with a little potassium rich fertilizer before blooming season. Spray any bugs off with a hose and apply an insecticidal soap to prevent insect return. All parts of the plant are poisonous so should be handled with care.
On a recent garden tour, I learned about a climber variety of Black Eyed Susan’s. They look exactly like the ground version and come in orange, yellow and white varieties. They are charming and easy to care for; their eye catching dark (actually tubular) centers and clear colored daisy like petals are often seen in hanging baskets. They like full sun, neutral well drained moist soil and some root protection from the heat. Although technically a perennial grown in more temperate climates, they are grown as an annual here and, as such, can be brought inside to overwinter. There are many more I could discuss but I will stop here. Enjoy the summer season of blooming climbers!