Choosing planting

Clematis: which variety to choose?

Our tips for making the right choice!

Contents

Modified the Monday, 11 August 2025 by Alexandra 5 min. Difficulty: Débutant

Clematis are stunning climbing plants that bring a lot of colour to pergolas and arbors. They often bear large, colourful flowers in spring or summer. There is such a profusion of varieties that it can be quite difficult to navigate. Moreover, they often have different characteristics: they can produce single or double flowers, deciduous or evergreen foliage, provide continuous flowering throughout the summer or winter flowering, they can be climbing or not, and adapt more or less well to pot cultivation… To choose your clematis wisely, you need to know what effect you wish to achieve. Do you want an extravagant flowering or something more understated and natural? Do you wish to have it climb on a pergola, decorate a terrace, or even use it as ground cover? Clematis offer countless possibilities… It would be a shame not to take advantage of them!

Difficulty

What is the desired effect?

To have flowers in the middle of winter!

To escape the winter gloom, choose Christmas clematis, Clematis cirrhosa. They offer an original flowering, often cream white punctuated with red spots. The flowers are bell-shaped with four petals. Depending on the varieties, they can bloom between October and March. The leaves are evergreen and glossy. Unfortunately, they are not very hardy and require winter protection! We recommend the variety Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’. Also discover the clematis ‘Winter Beauty’, which truly lives up to its name! It will offer you small white bell-shaped flowers from December to February. However, it is delicate to grow! For a slightly later flowering, you can choose Armand’s clematis, Clematis armandii, which blooms in late winter, starting in March.

Clematis ‘Winter Beauty’, Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ and Clematis armandii ‘Snowdrift’

Also check out our advice sheet: 6 winter-flowering clematis.

Continuous flowers all summer: long-flowering clematis

Some clematis offer never-ending blooms, so take advantage of them! It is common for hybrids to have perpetual flowering that follows one after the other. This is the case with Clematis ‘Westerplatte’, which offers a fragrant, intense red flowering throughout the summer in successive waves. As for ‘Baby Star’ and ‘Piilu’, they offer a double or semi-double flowering in spring, followed by a second, single flowering at the end of summer! The first bears elegant white flowers, while the second will bring a bit more colour with its pink flowers and yellow stamens. Similarly, we appreciate jackmanii clematis and ‘Princess Diana’ for their generous flowering that lasts all summer!

Clematis ‘Westerplatte’, Clematis jackmanii ‘Forever Friends’ and Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’

For an original flowering

Rediscover clematis! Opt for originality with the cream white flowers speckled with purple of Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’, as speckled flowers are quite rare among clematis! Be surprised by the variety – aptly named – ‘Octopus’, whose long purple sepals spread in all directions like the tentacles of an octopus. It also exists in a blue variant, ‘Spiky’. Fall for Clematis pitcheri and its small blue and white bell-shaped flowers, very rounded and bulbous! As for the clematis ‘Taiga’, it is a truly impressive variety with its large violet and cream white flowers. The bicoloured sepals in the centre open gradually, allowing the flower to change its appearance as it blooms. A variety so refined that it becomes almost hypnotic! Also discover the cream white and light green flowers of Clematis ‘Sen no Kaze’. The green colour is usually very rare for flowers! As for the clematis tangutica ‘Golden Harvest’, it bears small yellow bell-shaped flowers, quite different from the clematis we are used to. Finally, discover the tousled flowers of the clematis ‘Rosalyn’, with fine red sepals that give it a very dishevelled appearance!

→ Also check out our article on 7 clematis with original flowering

Clematis ‘Rosalyn’, Clematis pitcheri and Clematis ‘Spiky’

For a very natural and simple look

Prefer varieties with small, simple or bell-shaped flowers. Avoid the exuberance of large double flowers and clematis from the Patens group. Fall for the delicate bell-shaped flowers of Clematis fusca. The variety ‘Winter Beauty’ bears beautiful white bell-shaped flowers in the middle of winter, particularly elegant. Turn to botanical species, such as the hedgerow clematis, Clematis vitalba, which can be found spontaneously in France. Also discover Clematis integrifolia, a small herbaceous clematis that offers delicate blue bell-shaped flowers. Small-flowered clematis have a charming appeal! They bring an undeniable wild and natural aspect to the garden.

Clematis fusca, Clematis vitalba and Clematis integrifolia (photo Michael Wolf)

For a sophisticated flowering

Turn to hybrids with large flowers and varieties with double flowers. The most spectacular flowering is undoubtedly that of Clematis ‘Taiga’. It offers bicoloured flowers, violet and cream white, with a very refined and sophisticated appearance. It is truly different from other clematis! Just as exuberant, the variety ‘Multi Blue’ bears large double flowers, blue violet, lighter in the centre. As for Clematis viticella ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’, it offers a double flowering, pink.

Clematis ‘Taiga’, Clematis ‘Multiblue’ and Clematis ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans'[/caption>

Evergreen clematis

Discover the waxy clematis, Clematis cirrhosa. It bears original flowers in the middle of winter! It surprises us with its cream white flowers speckled with red or purple. You can also choose Clematis armandii, Armand’s clematis. It blooms a little later, offering a white and fragrant flowering in spring.

Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica (photo Peganum), Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ and Clematis ‘Winter Beauty'[/caption>

For which place and purpose?

For container cultivation

Some clematis adapt perfectly to container growing, allowing you to brighten up a terrace or balcony. Choose varieties with a compact habit and slow growth. Clematis ‘Baby Star’ is particularly suitable: it does not exceed 1.5 metres in height and offers an abundant flowering of pure white in spring and late summer. If you prefer a more colourful variety, opt for Clematis ‘Piilu’: it is covered with a multitude of flowers with pink sepals and yellow stamens. Also consider clematis ‘Astra Nova’, Clematis ‘Westerplatte’ or ‘Early Sensation’. For something more original, you can choose the herbaceous clematis Clematis integrifolia ‘Twinckle’. Alpine clematis are suitable as they grow slowly. Avoid Clematis terniflora, a clematis with vigorous growth. We recommend pairing them with other small bushes or perennials. They will help maintain cool, well-draining soil.

Clematis ‘Baby Star’, Clematis ‘Astra Nova’ and Clematis ‘Piilu’

A non-climbing clematis for a flowerbed!

Herbaceous clematis integrate very easily into flowerbeds. Discover Clematis heracleifolia, a very original clematis that offers small blue-purple bell-shaped flowers in autumn and has large leaves: it is the complete opposite of the usual varieties! Be charmed by the beautiful white and light blue bell-shaped flowers of the lovely clematis integrifolia ‘Twinckle’. It is perfectly suited for container or flowerbed cultivation. You can also choose Clematis recta ‘Purpurea’: it bears numerous small white flowers, beautifully highlighted by its purple leaves and stems.

Clematis ‘Twinkle’, Clematis heracleifolia, Clematis integrifolia (photo H. Zell)

A ground-covering clematis!

Indeed, clematis are not always climbing; they can also spread and cover the ground with a multitude of flowers! The clematis ‘Robert Brydon’ will provide you with a remarkable carpet of pale mauve-white flowers. Also discover the beautiful star-shaped white flowers, delicately scented, of Clematis mandshurica.