EDIT: First question posted below.

I'm looking for a clematis that toerates shade. Any ideas? The backyard gets a lot of shade, I'd like a white one maybe for a red arbor.

Hi Jumper, if you start a new thread asking for suggestions, I'm sure others will be happy to share their experiences with you. Your question will be more visible to others that way. I'm actually writing an article right now about clematis that do well in shade and another for clematis that do very well in containers. But, the short answer is... my personal favorite among the white family for partial shade are Silver Moon (called a pale lilac, but looks rather white to me), florida Sieboldii, Henryi, Marie Boisselot, and Alabast.

Thanks.

I'm sure Clematis Armandii tolerates shade well. Mine's growing under a black walnut tree.

Is it hardy in zone5 ?

Unfortunately, I don't think it is hardy there. Sorry. Most of the sources say it's hardy only to zone 7.

Jumper, don't get discouraged trying to find a clematis hardy in your zone. American Clematis Society has 457 listed as hardy to zone 4 (not a typo!). I'm sure we can help you find one you like that is cold hardy in your area.

Of the ones I suggested above, all are hardy to zone 4 except for florida Sieboldii. It's listed as hardy only to Z6, but there are a few folks from other forums that I have seen growing it in Ohio. if you don't have access to the database and would like to know about a particular one you are considering, just pop in with a question.

HTH! Evey =)

Thanks, Evey. I'll ask away when I need. Thanks again. I'll keep looking.

Does your site list zone hardiness?

It will soon, but only for the ones that I carry. Unfortunately, COTW doesn't list the USDA zones for the clematis. The only reliable comprehensive source I've found with the USDA zones is Edith's over at ACS, but she's missing the newest cultivars. Hybrid clematis cultivars haven't been easily found in commerce for very long here in the U.S. Compared to how long roses and other plants have been popular in the U.S., we're practically pioneers with the hybrids, in plant terms!

I'll keep looking around for a free source for the USDA zones and post if I find one. In the meantime, if you want to check on one in particular, just post it here and I'll look it up for you.

Ok, thanks!

Lucy, I found the link I was looking for... Chalk Hill Nursery (now out of business) had a page where they listed their favorite clems for shade. By no means is the Chalk Hill list complete (it's a little old, so the newest shade-tolerant cultivars will not be listed), but it might be helpful until I get my full list organized. Here's the link: http://www.chalkhillclematis.c...

HTH! Evey =)

Cool, I just added it to my favorites. It's a good starting point, thanks.

This is Claire De lune sitting beneath an old Silver Maple . It was reccomended for growing in shade by Silver Star Vinery.

I have always Claire De Lune.....sooooo pretty!

I found this chart with clematis info:

http://www.clematis.com.pl/wms...

Does it seem to be correct, Evey?

Actually, yes and no. Many of the older charts do not accurately list the USDA zones for growing clematis and/or those that tolerate shade. Edith over at ACS and some others have long been trying to get that changed... but I think many vendors are slow to come on board because they have not had personal experience growing each cultivar in a variety of conditions. I find the zone listings on the ACS database to be a little naive on how many will grow well in Zone 11 and the ICS database to be quite conservative on those that will thrive beyond Zone 9. Brushwood has done a great job of classifying the zones for theirs. For my own site, I have relied on a combination of personal reports, hybridizer info, and the ICS in posting my zone information. I relied on information from ICS for the aspect info.

There are few clematis that REQUIRE partial shade to grow well, but certainly some do... Silver Moon is a good example of one that will really hate you if you put her in full sun! But, most will tolerate some shade in their aspect. Again, there are always exceptions... Josephine will not be happy in shade! If you check out the COTW website, you will see that most have been listed as both sun and partial shade, but you can do an aspect search for those that prefer shade only. Here's a link:
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk... .

Again, just realize that the zones listed on the COTW site are incomplete for the zones. Also realize that for newer cultivars, information will be incomplete because the plant may not have been tried or reported on in a wide variety of growing situations.