Growing Clematis in zones 4-11 IS possible!

Dear Clematis Enthusiast or Future Clematis Gardener,

If you are an American gardener who is contemplating growing clematis in USDA growing zones 4-11 but have been concerned because the present information available about clematis has them listed as growing only in USDA zones 5-9, I would like to share an article I wrote for our newsletter in the January/February 2001 issue of The Clematis Chronicle.

Giving Clematis Their Rightful Place in the U.S.

As you may know, we formed the Southern California Clematis Society in April, 1996 in order to dispel the myth that clematis do not grow in Southern California. Our goals were to reach as many gardeners as possible, get the word out that clematis will grow in the U.S., give information on how to grow them successfully and to promote the hybridization of American clematis cultivars.

In 1997 I wrote an article titled, So, You Think That Disneyland Is The Only Attraction In Southern California! It is the first time I addressed USDA growing zones in an International arena. Unfortunately, the humor was lost and it was re-titled Clematis News from South California.

Here is an excerpt from the first paragraph:

You may not be aware of it, but Disneyland is not the only attraction in Southern California. We grow large hybrid clematis here! Despite what you may have read or heard, it is not accurate that clematis can not be grown here. It is not just an annual vine. According to the gardening bible, Sunset Western Garden Book, clematis can grow in all 24 zones of California except for mountain and desert areas where they need special care. Even in these difficult areas you can grow the many beautiful Clematis viticellas. A gentleman in Temple City has been growing a C. x 'Jackmanii' for over 26 years in a zone 20 and it is truly a site to behold!

Last year I was invited to submit another article to the same clematis journal. They wanted something different this time, not just news of what our society was doing. So, I sent the following article:

Correct Growing Zones For Clematis In The United States

The United States is made up of many diverse growing regions and they are divided into climate zones. The most frequently mentioned reference guide to these zones is the Official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which has our country divided into 11 climate zones.

Until the American Clematis Society's Guide to Growing Clematis in the United States was published, there were no books available to American gardeners that addresses our diverse growing zones correctly. Sadly, this is still the case. It is most alarming to me that there are still books on Clematis being produced that are utilizing these incorrect zones.

The question is, "how did these growing zones first originate?", particularly since there has never been a comprehensive study conducted in the United States that legitimately answers where clematis will grow successfully in our 11 climate zones. There was a study conducted in Chicago to find how clematis grow in our USDA Zone 5b but, unfortunately, I believe its conclusions weren't based on enough sufficient data to formulate an accurate evaluation (For more details see page 10 of May/June 2000 The Clematis Chronicle).

Why am I so concerned? Because the number of correct growing zones directly correlates with the future of how popular Clematis will become in the U.S. The American Clematis Society will never realize our goal of making Clematis, as "Recognizable as the Rose" in the U.S. until we have the correct growing zones. I believe American gardeners deserve this information so I will continue to be a vocal advocate to rectify the use of improper growing zones and my ultimate objective is to help lead the way for conclusive studies of our approved growing zones for clematis success in America!

I guess the above article proved to be too controversial because it was not utilized. I realize it is only my opinion but I would have liked to have seen it printed so other clematis gardeners from other parts of the world would begin to understand how diverse our country is.

This is something that is extremely important and we all should do what ever we can to stop this use of incorrect USDA growing zones. So, if we ever want clematis to have their rightful place in the U.S., we must take some kind of action. I believe filling out our Clematis Bloom Charts is one of the ways we can all help understand how and where they grow. It is not perfect but it is certainly a lot better than using the results of an inconclusive evaluation.

In conclusion, you may be wondering why I am so adamant about this issue. Well, if I had followed the traditional wisdom of where clematis can grow, I would never have experienced the joy Clematis have brought me over the last 7 years. I truly want to give every American gardener the same chance to experience growing this exquisite flowering vine that I have had and prevent them from being misled by the unproven USDA growing zones.

Faithfully yours,

Edith

Return to index