While plant trends come and go, clematis enjoy enduring popularity among gardeners. They’re a member of the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family, and it’s the extravagant large blooms of those that flower in late spring and early summer that garner much of the attention. However, with 386 different species from a range of climates and habitats across the world, this is a wonderfully diverse group of plants, which includes a number that are at their best from late summer into autumn.
While clematis that bloom in spring tend to produce a spectacular but short-lived burst of colour, it’s those that bloom later in the year that provide the most long-lasting display. They can be vigorous, growing up to four metres, but others are compact and restrained in their habit, making them suitable for and x ‘Rubromarginata’ are fragrant, and some, particularly varieties of such as ‘Bill Mackenzie’, have the added bonus of silvery, wispy seedheads that persist well into winter.
