Clematis 'Diamond Ball'

Each pom-pom bloom is so full and lush that it becomes nearly spherical, with white petals reflexing to point downward, all streaked with lime midribs. The petals are almost iridescent, and they are tinged with lavender reverses for a soft, ethereal appearance. The compact vine grows only 5 to 6 feet tall, but fills out nicely with big, plush leaves and blooms. What a regal presence.

'Diamond Ball' is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® plant chosen for its exciting color and great garden performance. To be selected for this group, it had to first be thoroughly tested in trial gardens all around the world, and its health, vigor, and beauty have proven unparalleled. The old wood starts blooming in June, and the show keeps going strong right through summer, with the new wood taking the blooming over by August. Pests like insects, rabbits, and deer tend to avoid it, but hummingbirds like to come in for a sip.

'Diamond Ball' belongs to Clematis Pruning Group 2, which means that it blooms on old and new wood alike. The old-wood blooms are the most impressive and arise earliest in the season, while the new-wood blooms are smaller and come on later in the season. If you prune too severely, next year's bloom show will suffer (although you will still get SOME blooms). What you want to do is just clean up the plant, removing dead wood and trimming the branches down to strong bud pairs (but not below).