A Collection Of 15 Clematis Types (Photos Included)

Clematis is a popular flowering plant that is known for its stunning and showy blooms. The plant is a woody vine that can grow to be quite tall, often reaching heights of up to 20 feet. It is a versatile plant that can be grown in a variety of settings, including flower beds, containers, and trellises.

There are more than 300 different varieties of clematis in different colors and sizes. While we can’t showcase all of them here, we can look at a collection of 15 clematis vines that are proven winners.

1. Bees’ Jubilee

A clematis vine with a festive name, the bees’ jubilee can grow to be six to eight feet tall. It is the big, beautiful blooms, however, that make this perennial a gardener’s favorite. It is a go-to vine for people looking to add an explosion of color to their landscaping.

The flowers on the bees’ jubilee clematis are eight inches in diameter and bloom twice a season, in early summer and in early autumn. The blooms are showstoppers. They have white or lavender-edged petals with bright pink, red, or fuchsia stripes.

2. Cherokee

A more diminutive variety of clematis, the Cherokee variety tops out at only about one foot tall. It is ideally suited for container gardens, window boxes, and patio pots. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in showmanship.

The star-shaped Cherokee blooms are about four inches wide. The pink petals of this variety of clematis vine boast a stripe in a darker pink color that runs down the center of each petal.

After this stunner is done flowering in late spring, it will give you an encore performance with a second blooming in late summer or early fall.

3. Prince Charles

After his coronation as king, maybe this variety of clematis vine should be renamed to ‘King Charles.’ No matter which royal title we use, this variety of clematis vine is regal and elegant. When it climbs over a garden arch, fence, or trellis, it presents a grand appearance.

Prince Charles clematis can grow to between six and eight feet tall. The flowers, measuring about four inches across, are bluish mauve in color with buttery yellow centers. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to these attractive blooms, too.

4. Hagley Hybrid

The Hagley hybrid variety of clematis is a bushy vine that reaches about seven feet high. Its bushy spread fills in empty spaces to give gardens a more mature look. This variety of clematis has earned accolades for how well it performs in window boxes.

Hagley hybrid clematis vines bloom in mid-summer with an abundance of four to five-inch flowers. The flowers are pink when they first bloom, but they tend to lose their color and fade to white as the blooming season goes on.

If it is growing in a partially shady space, the flowers of the Hagley hybrid will hold their color longer.  

5. Josephine

At first glance, you may mistake the Josephine clematis for a dahlia. This variety of vining clematis has double the petals of regular clematis varieties. The Josephine clematis loves to take center stage and claim all the attention for itself.

The five-inch-wide blooms are a charming shade of pink. When grown in full sun, the flowers will be a brighter color. The flowers bloom in summer and last more than four weeks.

6. Blue Light Clematis

Blue light clematis are distinctive and not just because of their bluish blooms, that range from pale blue to deep violet-blue. This variety of flowering vine produces flowers twice a year, but the flowers differ from spring to fall.

The springtime blooms of the blue light clematis are double-petaled beauties that are about six inches wide, thick, and magnificent. The vine will bloom again in early fall, but this time, the flowers are smaller in diameter.

The flowers for the blue light clematis’s second act have single or semi-double petals, rather than the ostentatious flowers of spring.

7. Sweet Autumn Clematis

The sweet autumn clematis differs from many of its cousins in that it holds on to its flower buds in the spring and summer and only blooms in late summer and early fall. The plant spends the summer months working on its height and foliage.

This variety can grow as tall as twenty feet high and has handsome, dark green, leathery leaves.

When the sweet autumn clematis does finally bloom, you are in for a treat. The blooms are not overly large, but there are plenty of them to cover the vines in a cascade of white. The flowers are quite fragrant, too, giving your outdoor space a pleasant smell.

8. Firework

The firework clematis is a vine that likes to reach new heights. It is a prolific climber that will cling to fences and trellises. It can grow to about twelve feet tall.

It is also an early bloomer. Firework clematis vines will pop with an explosion of star-shaped purple blooms in late spring. The demonstrative blooms are an aww-worthy eight inches in diameter.

9. The Vagabond

The Vagabond variety of clematis is truly a special garden perennial which is probably why it has earned numerous awards. This plant produces deep, rich purple flowers with a velvety texture and a bright yellow center.

Individual flowers are not as massive as some clematis blooms – only about five inches wide – but the dramatic color and intoxicating fragrance make up for the size.

The Vagabond clematis stays relatively small. With an average height of about five feet, it is ideal for containers and flowerpots. This bold vine flowers twice a season, in early summer and in the fall.

10. Bill MacKenzie

Unlike many other varieties of clematis, the Bill MacKenzie clematis is not known for its giant blooms. In fact, the yellow flowers are only about three inches wide, and bell shaped. This variety, however, has plenty of other things going for it.

First, it is a tall plant that can grow as high as 22 feet. It also has lovely foliage that stays green well into early winter.

But gardeners really admire the Bill MacKenzie clematis for its exceptionally long blooming season that extends from the middle of June until the first frost in the fall. 

11. Madame Julia Correvon

One of the unique features of the Madame Julia Correvon clematis is its deep red color. The vine is a profuse bloomer and will show off its crimson flowers from June through September, giving gardeners a whole season’s worth of color.

The flowers themselves are only about three inches in diameter, but the saffron stamens in the centers contrast nicely with the scarlet petals.

A twelve-foot-tall vine, the Madame Julia Correvon can also be grown near black walnut trees whereas other perennials cannot tolerate the juglone the trees add to the soil. It has also been shown to be deer resistant.

12. Venosa Violacea

Butterfly lovers adore the Venosa Violacea clematis as the flowers of this perennial vine will bring butterflies and other pollinators to their gardens. The flowering season for the Venosa Violacea is particularly long, running from early July through September.

It is a great climber and can be used to add visual interest and height to your landscaping space.

The blooms of the Venosa Violacea are vivid and dramatic. A deep, eggplant purple in color, each petal has a white stripe sprayed along it which gives the flowers a star-like quality.

13. Rebecca

From the moment this clematis hybrid hit the market, it was an immediate classic that every gardener wanted in their yard. A hardy climber, the Rebecca clematis can reach as tall as eight feet and it is perfect for covering old fences or unsightly poles.

The Rebecca’s vibrant red flowers bloom from early summer through early fall. Depending on the growing conditions, the blooms may be burgundy in color, rather than a fire-engine red.

14. Belle of Woking

The Belle of Woking clematis commands attention with its silvery, double-petaled, star-shaped blooms. The unusual silver color of the flowers adds some brightness and glamor to your garden.

The vines of the Belle of Woking clematis grow between eight and twelve feet tall, so it works well as cover for a fence, arbor, or trellis.

The flowers, which measure about six inches across, bloom in May and June.

Depending on the growing conditions, the Belle of Woking clematis may have an encore blooming in late summer. The flowers in the second blooming come from the vine’s new growth from the season.

15. Clematis Henryi

The claim to fame of the Henryi variety is that it is one of the biggest white clematis varieties. The blooms are between eight to ten inches across and are so pure white that they seem to glow.

A light, bright flower, the Henryi is a splendid addition to a romantic, white flower garden.

While the flowers are white, they have center anthers in deep purple or brown that attract bees and butterflies. The low-maintenance vine maxes out at about eight feet tall and blooms in June.

Summary

One of the most spectacular flowering vines, the clematis, with more than 300 varieties, is a popular perennial. Gardeners love the big, bountiful blooms and the range of colors of the clematis flowers. It is a showy, low-maintenance, climber that should have a place in every garden.