Clematis 'Adam's Courage'

Clematis 'Adam's Courage' is a perennial large-flowered clematis offering early summer to early fall interest, blooming heavily in early summer, and setting a second crop of flowers on new wood in late summer or autumn. Extremely floriferous and long blooming, the plant sets masses of very full flowers with overlapping, pointed petals and burgundy-tipped anthers. The blooms vary in color: spring flowers, being the most varied, range in color from lavender to deep fuchsia; summer flowers have deep violet centers fading to rich lavender toward petal ends. Plants bloom on old and new wood, and at maturity, the vine is fully covered in flowers.

Clematis 'Adam's Courage', a multistemmed, deciduous, woody climbing vine, has a compact, twining, and trailing growth habit, reaching a mature size of 6 feet in height and 2 feet in width. Its green foliage stays fresh and attractive all season. There is an old saying about clematis' growth rate: The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. Train clematis to climb a trellis, arbor, post, or fence, adding vertical interest. Or allow it to amble along the ground, meandering gracefully through the shrubbery. But for something really special, pair it with a climbing rose, allowing the nimble clematis to twine its way around the sturdy rose stalks. The two will elegantly mingle blooms in the early season, but the clematis will carry it through the heat of summer and the rose will pick up again in fall as the clematis' blooms fade.

Easy to grow and maintain, Clematis 'Adam's Courage' prefers average, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade. Good site selection is key. So, remember the adage for success with clematis when planting: feet in the shade, head in the sun. The plant should be placed where the leaves get plenty of sunshine (approx. 6 hours), but the roots are shaded and kept cool, either by low-growing, evergreen shrubs or by heavy mulch. Good drainage is important and extremely wet locations should be avoided. Protect plants from strong winds but allow good air circulation.

Prune as a group 2 or 3