Discover different Types of Clematis varieties and bring colors to your garden with the elegant flowers of this stunning-looking plant!
Clematis is an attractive deciduous vine that can be grown in home gardens and backyards. The genus includes evergreen and herbaceous varieties, with multiple colors, forms, and flowering seasons, though most of the plant flowers between early spring and fall. Here are some of the best Types of Clematis you should grow!
Check out our article on growing Clematis in pots here
Types of Clematis
Clematis plants are divided into three basic groups.
- Group One: If overgrown, these plants require light pruning before the end of July. They flower on old wood.
- Group Two: This category flowers on old and new wood and needs light pruning after flowering. Most of these are large flowering hybrids that include ‘Viva Polonia’ and ‘Diamond Ball.’
- Group Three: They flower on new wood and can be pruned to 12-15 inches in the early spring. These species include C.viticella and C. x jackmanii
Most Beautiful Types of Clematis
1. President
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘President’
The President clematis is a deciduous vine with large, star-shaped flowers, in vibrant violet-blue shades, having white filaments tinted with pink to deep red color. It flowers in late spring to early summer and fall.
2. Brother Stefan
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Brother Stefan’
This easy-to-grow plant has large, ruffled, blue flowers that start to appear in early summer and continue throughout mid to late summer. It is one of the best types of clematis to grow.
3. Henryi
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Henryi’
This trailing clematis flowers abundantly in early summer and continues to produce small flowers on new wood, from mid-summer to early fall. The plant displays pure white petaled flowers, with a contrast of violet to brown-tinged centers.
4. Claire de Lune
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Claire de Lune.’
Claire de Lune clematis (Clematis ‘EVIrin) flowers in white, pale, and lilac tints with wavy edges on petals. The dark purple anthers provide each flower a contrasting center. To produce the most beautiful flowers, grow the plant in partial shade.
Note: This beautiful vine has won the Chelsea flower show in England for its stunning, 7 inches wide flowers.
5. Rebecca
USDA Zone: 4-10
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Rebecca’
The ‘Rebecca’ clematis opens in a velvety red flower with a yellow center. Its color turns purple if grown in the shade. You can get the red hue by planting this clematis in the sunlight.
6. Diamond Ball
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Diamond Ball’
The ‘Diamond Ball’ clematis showcases blue-white, double flowers that form 4-5 inches wide, spherical-shaped blossoms. You can prune the stems back to 18-20 inches high in early spring. It is one of the best types of clematis to grow.
7. Josephine
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Josephine’
This striking double clematis unfolds in the shades of lilac with a ruff center. The largest outer petals (botanically known as tepals) fade and drop, leaving the pompom in the center of the flower.
8. Nelly Moser
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’
‘Nelly Moser’ features large, 7-9 inches bicolor flowers in late spring or early summer, followed by the second phase of flowering in early fall. The striking flower opens in a pale lilac shade, with a pink bar, below the center.
9. Kilian Donahue
USDA Zone: 4-10
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Kilian Donahue’
‘Kilian Donahue’ is one of the best bicolor types. The flower opens with ruby red centers that fade to fuchsia at every petal tip. The edges have an orchid hue when the plant matures and change to lavender with pink stripes.
10. Joe
USDA Zone: 7-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Joe’
Joe clematis offers year-round white color to the garden! This beauty features an avalanche of white flowers during spring. It is one of the best types of clematis to grow.
11. Duchess of Albany
USDA Zone: 5-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Duchess of Albany’
‘Duchess of Albany’ displays bell-shaped pink flowers with dark pink stripes down from the center of the petal. The vines become drought-resistant after getting established.
12. Stand By Me
USDA Zone: 3-7
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Stand By Me’
The plant has a shrub form that doesn’t require a trellis. Its stems grow upright with blue flowers hanging like bells that unfurls from late spring to midsummer.
13. Jackmanii
USDA Zone: 4-7
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
‘Jackmanii’ is the most popular and classic variety of clematis that displays deep purple flowers from early summer to fall. Start pruning in late winter or early spring by cutting all the woody stems of the previous year, keeping them just above the base of the plant.
14. Sweet Summer Love
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’
It is a fragrant variety of clematis that emits a sweet perfume that can fill the entire yard with a soothing aroma. The flower opens in cranberry shade and turns purple during maturity.
15. Recta
USDA Zone: 3-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Recta’
Clematis recta grow like a perennial that dies back to the ground in every harsh freezing winter. The fragrant, white flowers open in late spring to early summer. You can grow it like a shrub, close to a tall perennial so that it gets the right support.
16. Tekla Garland
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Tekla Garland’
Tekla Garland Clematis accommodates very well in small gardens and containers. The plant produces a 4-5 inch wide red-pink flower continuously from early summer to the fall. It is perfect for growing in containers.
17. Bourbon
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Bourbon’
This clematis variety is popular for its long flowering season, which begins in late spring, forming red-purple flowers throughout the early fall. It can reach up to a height of 5-6 feet. Grow this beautiful clematis in loamy, sandy, neutral soil.
18. Empress
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Empress of India’
The ‘Empress Clematis’ offers double and semi-double soft pink flowers, with deep pink centers, during summer and early fall. This stunning variety climbs up to 6-8 feet. It is an easy to grow clematis that thrives well in full sun in moist, well-drained soil.
19. Hyde Hall
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Hyde Hall’
Hyde Hall is a compact and beautiful, large flowering variety that displays pure white flowers early and late summer. This shade-tolerant, easy-to-grow deciduous climber thrives well in full sun to partial shade. It is one of the best types of clematis to grow.
20. Neva
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Neva’
The ‘Neva’ is a perfect variety if you want lots of colors in a compact space. It climbs up to 4-5 feet tall and flowers abundantly during spring and early summer. Grow the plant in full to partial shade.
21. Hagley Hybrid
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Hagley Hybrid’
‘Hagley Hybrid’ features shell-pink flowers, with a hint of lavender, which looks striking on arbor or trellis. It can grow up to 6-8 feet tall in containers or small gardens. This clematis can work well in partial shade in well-drained, moist soil.
22. Java
USDA Zone: 4-11
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Java’
This climber clematis showcases fragrant green-white flowers, with oppositely arranged leaves, from November to February. The flower has four sepals that look like petals.
23. Sweet Autumn
USDA Zone: 4-11
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Sweet Autumn’
Sweet autumn clematis is a deciduous perennial flowering vine that can grow 15-30 feet high. This twining vine forms small, white, fragrant flowers in fall, with dark green leaves.
24. Climador
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Climador’
‘Climador’ clematis is also known as ‘konigskind.’ It features big flowers in striking shades of lavender-blue during late spring and summer. It can climb up to 5-6 feet in partial to full sun.
25. Fleuri
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Fleuri‘
This clematis variety displays rich blue-purple flowers all summer long. The ‘Fleuri‘ clematis is of compact nature that makes it ideal for containers and small trellises. It is one of the best types of clematis to grow.
26. Rouge Cardinal
USDA Zones: 3-10
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Rouge Cardinal’
‘Rouge Cardinal’ exhibits large pink 5-7 inches flowers that fade and form fuzzy mophead seedheads that look great in dried flower collection. It grows best in full sun.
27. Doctor Ruppel
USDA Zones: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Doctor Ruppel’
This deciduous perennial flowering vine offers pink blooms in June. It grows 8-12 feet tall and does best in full sun to partial sun in fertile, well-draining soil.
28. Crytal Fountain
USDA Zone: 5-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Crystal Fountain’
It features violet-pink double blooms with a fountain-like center of a mauve stamen. It flowers twice a year and does well in partial shade, growing up to 4-7 feet tall.
29. John Paul II
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘John Paul II’
‘John Paul II’ shows off white blooms with a central pink stripe on each petal having a white-red center. It grows up to 8-12 feet tall and prefers partial sun.
30. Justa
USDA Zone: 5-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Justa’
It offers pale blue flowers with a central yellow band on every petal from late summer till early fall. This small variety grows up to 3-5 feet tall.
31. Piilu
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Piilu’
The bright pink flowers with ruffled edges unfurl twice a year and tempt hummingbirds and butterflies. It grows up to 3-5 feet tall.
32. Boulevard Cherokee
USDA Zone: 4
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Cherokee’
‘Cherokee’ beautifies gardens with white-purple blooms. Each petal flaunts a deep violet streak down the center. It grows up to 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide.
33. Diamantina
USDA Zone: 4-11
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Diamantina’
This deciduous climber features a blend of striking purple-blue, having 6 inches across double blooms with rose-pink tint. The flower opens from a tight central ball, creating a multi-layered pompom.
34. General Sikorski
USDA Zone: 4-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘General Sikorski’
If you want a clematis with bright shade and large blue flowers, then this is the one to go for! The flowers look more appealing with a red center and the plant flowers in spring, early summer, and again in late summer and early fall.
35. Multi Blue
USDA Zone: 5-8
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Multi Blue’
Another stunner on the list, the plant blooms blue flowers with a silver-blue center. It is great for a small garden where you can grow it in pots and match its shade with other variegated foliage plants.
36. Alaina
USDA Zone: 4-11
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Alaina’
This variety of Clematis bears flowers in pink color from spring until fall. The plant thrives best in well-drained soil and it loves to grow in part shade.
37. Alba Luxurians
USDA Zone: 5-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’
If you want a climber that gets full of white flowers, then this is it! The bloom matches really well with the gray-green foliage, and the plant is also quite easy to maintain too.
38. Abundance
USDA Zone: 4-11
Botanical Name: Clematis viticella ‘Abundance’
This variety produces small flowers in shades of light red with a white-colored center and blooms from late summer until fall. It prefers partial to full sunlight.
39. Asagasumi
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Asagasumi’
Clematis Asagasumi is a beautiful plant that produces white flowers during spring and early fall. It can tolerate shade and can quickly grow up to a height of 8-10 feet.
40. Anna Louise
USDA Zone: 4-9
Botanical Name: Clematis ‘Anna Louise’
It is popular for its huge, purple-colored flowers with stripes in pink in the center. The plant blooms in early fall and late spring and prefers alkaline soil and full sunlight.
Beautiful description of each variety, Thanks.
I need information for a purchasing outlet. I would like to try the “Fleuri” variety.
The pictures are good, but I find the lack of class/pruning instructions to be a serious ommision. Also, not all of them say when they bloom.
Where can I buy Fleuri and other clematis