Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Group/Class:  Raymond Evison Group

Description:

A free flowering variety that blooms over a long period; rich, dusky pink flowers with reddish pink stamens; excellent for trellises, pergolas, or patio containers

Ornamental Features

Giselle Clematis features showy pink star-shaped flowers with lavender overtones and hot pink eyes at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. Its compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Giselle Clematis is a multi-stemmed perennial vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant. It is a Type 2 clematis, which means it will bloom primarily on old wood of the previous season, with a second flush later in summer. Dead and weak vines should be removed in late winter, and remaining vines should be trimmed back to the first buds that are seen to remove dead stems. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Giselle Clematis is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Giselle Clematis will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it should either be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Giselle Clematis is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.