Pamela Mason of Canada recommends Clematis ‘Prairie Traveller’s Joy.’ “I have been growing this ironclad hardy huge (15′ tall ) white clematis in Edmonton, Alberta for years now. The late summer blooms are the size of a quarter, and have a lovely light almondy scent. …you can also easily take shoots from the bottom for new plants.” According to Rundle Wood Gardens, the plant is “a hybrid of our native C. lingusticifolia and the eastern native C. virginiana.” Pamela purchased her plant from Russian Roses for the North, which calls it Clematis ‘PTJ’ and lists it as hardy to Zone 1. Not certain if that is Canadian hardiness zones or USDA hardiness zones, but either way, that’s pretty hardy. Probably hardier than either species.
And fragrant, too. What a deal! I don’t know of too many other fragrant, hardy clematises. Judy Miller of Paradise Gardens Rare Plant Nursery sells Clematis serratifolia, a “strongly vining climber whose lemon-scented pale yellow flowers w/ purple stamens resemble C. alpina‘s nodding open stars; very floriferous. July-Sept. flowering followed by pretty silvery seed-heads.” It is also a 15-footer.
Well, Pamela, when I get around to website maintenance (probably when the gardening season is over for the year, but, who knows? maybe during a summer heat wave), I will certainly be adding this clematis to Name That Plant! Thank you for letting me know about it, and indirectly, about two nurseries that I hadn’t heard of before.
I would like to know other peoples’ experience as to hardy, easy growing Clematis for Zone 4 in Montana.
Thank you.