Clematis integrifolia - Herbaceous Clematis

Clematis integrifolia, sometimes called Single-leaf Clematis, is a curious little herbaceous clematis with small bell-shaped blue flowers, forming a lush clump rather than a climbing vine, on which large multicoloured star-shaped flowers bloom. It is overlooked and underused in our gardens, despite its generous summer flowering of delicately scented and porcelain-like blue bell-shaped flowers and its great adaptability to all kinds of climates and soils. The vegetation of this clematis completely disappears in winter.

The Clematis genus belongs to the buttercup family. Clematis integrifolia is a herbaceous clematis with woody crown, native to southern Europe, central Europe, Russia, and China. It is a non-climbing perennial plant with long leafy stems, forming a bushy clump not exceeding 1m (3ft) in height, with a spread of 1m² (11 sq ft). It can be slow to establish as the plant roots deeply in the soil before showing exponential growth in following years, becoming moderately suckering after a few years. Every spring, a multitude of stems emerge directly from its base bearing small entire, ovate to elliptical, deep and glossy green leaves. The flowers bloom abundantly in late spring, then more sporadically throughout the summer. They are bell-shaped and violet-blue, composed of 4 fused and slightly twisted petals. They are 4 to 5 cm (2in) long with cream-coloured stamens in their throat. The flowering is followed by the formation of feathery and silver, decorative seeds. This wild clematis tolerates drought quite well once well-established and prefers sunny but not scorching situations.

Plant clematis integrifolia alongside your climbing roses to accompany their first flowering and fill their sometimes bare base. Clematis is a diverse genus, with flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to bring a romantic and bohemian touch to your garden. The exquisite and robust Clematis integrifolia, thanks to its herbaceous growth habit, will thrive perfectly in a pot on a balcony or on a slope invaded by perennial sweet peas, variegated ivy, small-flowered periwinkles, Coreopsis, and euphorbias.