The clematis is one of the most ornamental vines available. This vine belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, and the clematis genus, which contains over 300 species.
In your yard, clematis can be a colorful vine to plant. It is hardy and not very prone to pests and diseases. However, this might actually be a problem. Confused? Don’t be alarmed; we mean clematis is a fast-growing vine that can reach a height of 20 feet per year. As a result, clematis can quickly take over your landscape, which could endanger surrounding plants.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to research how fast do clematis grow if you plan to have this vine on your land. In addition, it would assist you in getting ready to adopt various management techniques to control its growth and modify the area to meet the vine’s needs.
So, read on to find out more.
Clematis: The Basics
Let’s first do some research on the basics of this clematis before examining its rate of growth.
The term “clematis” has been taken from the ancient Greek word κληματίς: clēmatís, which stands for a vine or a climbing plant. Clematis can beautify any type of structure they climb with its bright blooms and diverse shapes.
This vine is a profuse bloomer with an astounding diversity of leaves and blooms, and it grows best in USDA zones 4 through 9. The more than 200 clematis varieties can be divided into three types: species that flower in the late season, large-flowered hybrids, and spring bloomers.
A table summarizing some of the fundamental facts regarding clematis is provided below. For a basic understanding of this vine, please read it.
| Common name | Clematis |
| Genus | Clematis |
| Family | Ranunculaceae |
| USDA zones | 4 to 9 |
| Type | Perennial vine |
| Height | Up to 20 feet or more |
| Width | 3-20 feet or more |
| Bloom time | Spring to winter- depending on the varieties |
| Flower colors | Blue, purple, white, red, white |
| Sun exposure | Full bright sun |
| Bloom features | Low maintenanceBird attractorsHardyFast growerFragrant blooms |
| Propagation | Stem cuttings and seeds |
Different Clematis Types and Their Size
Here are the 17 types of clematis, out of which you can choose any as per your preference.
1. The President
The President is one of the most abundant clematis cultivars. It is a climber that will enhance your garden walls and fences with its deep purple blooms. In zones 4 to 8, these plants can reach heights of 8 to 12 feet and widths of 3 to 4 feet. They are resistant to deer and rabbits.
2. Brother Stefan
Choose Brother Stefan clematis for your yard if you desire a blue and purple color show. This variety, hardy in zones 4 to 9, blooms all summer.
3. Henryi
Henryi, another trailing clematis cultivar, thrives in zones 4 to 8, growing 6 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It blossoms into white blooms with violet to brown centers.
4. Claire de Lune
The white blooms of Clair de Luna are renowned for their wavy petal tips and light, lilac-hued shadings. This cultivar grows 8 to 10 feet tall and 3 feet broad, flourishing in zones 3 to 9.
5. Rebbeca
Rebbeca clematis’ vibrant crimson blossoms would win your heart. This cultivar grows best in zones 4 to 10 and reaches a modest height of 6′ to 8′ while blooming all summer.
6. Diamond Ball
The white and blue double blooms of the Diamond Ball give the plant its name. This cultivar grows 5 to 6 feet tall and a width of 2 to 3 feet, best in climate zones 4 to 9.
7. Josephine
Josephine, a double clematis with lilac-hued blossoms, will draw attention to itself. The blossoms will cover your garden all summer and last up to 4 weeks. This cultivar grows 6 to 8 feet tall by 3 feet wide and thrives in zones 4 to 9.
8. Nelly Moser
Nelly Moser is the clematis cultivar to choose if you want bi-color blooms in your yard. The flower has soft lilac petals with a central bar of sparkling pink. This cultivar grows 6 to 10 feet tall by 3 feet wide and thrives in zones 4 to 8.
9. Kilian Donahue
Kilian Donahue is another bicolor clematis variety that bears flowers with fuchsia petals and ruby-red centers. This cultivar grows 9 to 10 feet tall by 4 feet wide and does well in zones 4 to 10.
10. Evergreen
The Evergreen clematis is for you if you want your garden to be colorful all year round. In the spring, this beauty offers a deluge of snow-white blooms. This variety of clematis grows 12 to 15 feet tall and thrives in zones 7 to 9.
11. Duchess of Albany
The Duchess of Albany does not need a Duke to grow! Instead, this cultivar is drought tolerant and produces bell-shaped pink flowers from mid-summer to September. It grows to a height of 8 to 20 feet and a width of 2 feet in zones 5 to 9.
12. Stand By Me
This cultivar is more shrubby than twinning. It does not crawl and blooms from late spring through midsummer. Stand By Me thrives in zones 3 to 7, growing 34 to 38″ tall and 24 to 28″ broad.
13. Jackmanii
Jackmanii clematis has deep purple blossoms that bloom from summer to fall and reaches heights of 4 to 12 feet and widths of 3 to 4 feet. In hardiness zones 4 to 10, this cultivar grows well.
14. Sweet Summer Love
The Sweet Summer Love Clematis is for you if you enjoy sweet flower scents. This cultivar blooms continuously throughout the summer and won’t spread unwanted seeds over your garden. It grows hardy in zones 4 to 9.
15. Clematis Recta
Clematis recta is a bushy clematis variety. This cultivar, which is hardy in zones 3 to 9, has white, fragrant flowers that grow 2 to 4 feet tall and wide.
16. Tekla Garland
It is a more compact kind of clematis that is simple to grow in containers. It has reddish-pink blossoms and grows 4 to 5 feet tall and up to 2 feet broad. In zones 4 to 9, this variety grows hardy.
18. Rouge Cardinal
Produces enormous, pink-hued blooms that are up to 4 feet broad and between 10 and 12 feet tall; this type grows hardy in zones 3 to 10.
Clematis Fast Growing?
One of the most well-known vines in the world to grow in the backyard garden is clematis. Clematis is favored for its beautiful blooms and lush foliage displays. That being said, if you intend to cultivate this vine in your yard, one thing you should consider is whether clematis grows quickly.
Let us respond by saying, “YES.” The rapid growth of clematis is well recognized. Once they are rooted, these vines can grow rapidly. But remember that there are various clematis kinds, each developing at a different rate and size.
That said, clematis can grow up to 20 feet in height in a year. Furthermore, depending on where you live, some clematis species, particularly C. terniflora, may be invasive.
This brings us to the next part of our discussion, where we’ll look at how quickly clematis can grow. Continue reading to learn the answer in full.
How Fast And Quick do Clematis Grow?
Clematis is famed for having stunning and vibrant blooms, but it is also notorious for spreading quickly. Therefore, before planting this vine in the yard or garden, it is usually preferable to be aware of its typical growth rate, even though different cultivars grow at varying rates.
You should be aware that clematis takes time to establish and is not a vine that grows quickly in its initial year. However, this might deceive you into thinking that your clematis cultivar won’t be a strong grower. But nevertheless, once the first year has passed, you will see just how quickly this vine can actually grow.
For clematis, there is an old saying: “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.” Hence, whenever dealing with this vine, keep this proverb in mind.
This vine builds up speed, takes care of itself after its early year, and can grow 20-30 feet annually. It implies that it will flourish in any type of soil and environment. However, clematis may cause problems for the gardener from this point on because it may take the form of an invader and take over your garden quickly.
As we already indicated, this vine typically grows at a rate of about 20 feet per year. Still, you can only anticipate this rate when cultivating it in optimum circumstances. Furthermore, the precise size of your clematis will change according to the variety you select. Seventeen different clematis varieties and their mature sizes have already been listed. But, again, you can refer to the section above for more information.
To summarize, we can state that depending on the variety of clematis, you can expect it to grow at a height as low as 2 feet and as long as 20+ feet. Nevertheless, several variables will affect how quickly your clematis grows, some of which we have included in the section below.
Factors Affecting the Growth Rate of Clematis
So, it is a fact that clematis is a fast-growing vine. However, the growth rate will vary based on several variables. Therefore, after conducting some research, we have identified the following elements directly affecting how quickly this vine grows.
- The Cultivar: If you are reading this part, you have probably previously read the section above describing several clematis varieties. In addition, you have read about many cultivars having various maximum widths and heights there. It is therefore very obvious that not all clematis species reach heights of up to 20 feet. The vigorously tall clematis varieties include, among others, Duchess of Albany and Stand By Me. They can grow to be enormous and have robust growth. As a result, growing cultivars that you are comfortable with and can provide space is always good. Before planting them, inquire about their growth rate and maximum height. Nevertheless, clematis, regardless of species, frequently exhibit invasive behavior. So it is wise to educate yourself about them and prune them as needed.
- Plant Age: According to an old proverb, clematis exhibits a “sleepy temperament” during their first year. They won’t develop much as a result. But the vine will spread out and accelerate as time goes on. In other words, clematis continues to grow faster as they get older and more developed. The fact that it takes time to build the root system is one of the key reasons we do not observe rapid growth in clematis during its early years. But the plant will develop rapidly once the roots take hold.
- Growing Conditions: The clematis will display a faster growth rate if the growing condition is optimal. That said, this vine requires full sun exposure for at least 6 hours a day. Therefore, the more sunlight it gets, the faster it will grow. Additionally, clematis requires cool soil for the roots to grow, which can be attained by covering the base of the vine with a thick layer (at least 2 inches) of fresh mulch. You can also lant low-growing plants bear the base of this vine to offer it cool and shaded soil. Additionally, clematis needs at least 1 inch of water every week during the establishing phase. Moreover, it does well in rich, pH-neutral soils that drain well. You can expect optimal growth if you provide your vine with all the growing mentioned above conditions.
- Fertilization: Fertilizers are like external food you provide to your plants to boost their growth. The same can be stated for clematis as well. If you want your vine to grow faster and taller, feed it with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 fertilizer annually. Proper fertilization would boost the root growth and help the plant to establish at a fast rate. After your clematis establishes properly, from the second year onwards, you can restrict fertilization to only soil if it lacks essential nutrients.
- Physical Support: Most clematis is vine-like plants; thus, they need support to crawl up. Therefore, if you don’t use a trellis, fence, or wall to give it the necessary physical support, your clematis will find it difficult to grow to its ideal height.
Summary
In order to sum up, we can say that clematis will develop more quickly if given the ideal conditions for growth. This vine can spread out as well as grow tall. Therefore, if you choose the taller cultivars, you need a broader and open location to plant your vine.
Having said that, several clematis species may also be cultivated in pots and other small containers. You can select your variation based on your needs and preferences.