Originating from China and the Himalayas, Clematis montana 'Rubens' produces masses of pretty flowers from late spring through summer. Because it's such a fast grower - getting up to 8 meters if you let it, you'll want to train it up a trellis, metal or wooden structure and cut it back to just above buds about 1ft high from the base in late winter. Come spring it will start romping again.
Keep your clematis out of strong, direct winds as they prefer a bit more shelter. While they like their stems and leaves in lots of warm light, clematis prefer cool roots. The best workaround for this is to nestle your pot amongst other plants full of lush foliage that will shade it's base, or, apply a layer of decorative pebbles or stones to the surface of the soil.
Don't be surprised if your plant loses it's leaves in winter, it's deciduous so this is completely normal. If you're growing your clematis on a balcony under cover from rain, remember to keep watering it lightly even in winter, because unlike plants that grow in the ground, the roots won't be able to go searching for water in the surrounding soil.
Because it's such a vigorous grower, we highly recommend removing your clematis from it's nursery (plastic) pot and planting it up into a larger decorative pot with drainage at the bottom. This will give it room to grow and means you won't have to water it as often. When planting it up, bury the 'crown' of the plant (where the stems emerge from) five to eight centimetres below the surface of the soil, which will encourage lots of nice new growth. You'll need to repot it every couple of years to top up the nutrients in the soil. It's worth it to keep those flowers coming!
Easy care
Flowering
Partial shade
Moist soil
Haircuts
