Clematis Josephine taking over my garden and reverting to wild type
zoeridgway
Posts: 3
I bought and planted Clematis Josephine (as above label), in May 2012 to try to cover a nasty fence (see photo). However, after planting, it failed to flower in 2012, and again this year. Instead, it has produced an absolute mass of foliage, smothering all the other plants in the border. After hacking some back to get some light to my attempted espalied an apple and plum tree also on the fence in June, it continued to go completely bonkers foliage wise. It has now produced some tiny, white flowers
What has happened to my clematis? Has it reverted to 'wild' type? Did I buy a mislabelled plant?
Will it ever produce the double blue Josephine flowers?
I need to decide whether to dig the whole plant up, as it is completely smothering all the other plants in my border.
Many thanks,
Zoe
Posts
I'm no expert, but some of those leaves look like bind weed. Does it wind its way round branches etc? The little flowers aren't right for bind weed though. Still someone with better knowledge than me will no doubt help further
that looks very much like the wild clematis, Travellers Joy. Clematis vitalba. It won't have reverted, it will have been what was in the pot. As you still have the label I'd take it back with a length of flowering growth and get the real thing or your money back.
Years ago I nurtured a tree I bought as black mulberry. I kept looking at this tree and thinking 'I don't think so'. Eventually it produced white blossom and tiny cherries. Errors occur in nurseries and wildlings can seed into pots and take over
In the sticks near Peterborough
I have a pear tree with a label on saying its a cherry. I got a replacement and got to keep the pear.
I knew someone would know better than me!
they're weeds along with the ash etc here 4th Panda, but I do like to have at least one plant.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Did you ever get the mulberry, nut?
I'd love to have one but, apart from the fact that I already have a veritable forest with little space left for anything else, I fear that the number of summers left to me will be insufficient to allow me to enjoy it.
Thanks for all of the suggestions. Definately not bind weed! The flowers are at the end of the clematis foliage.
I have read somewhere that Clematis Josephine can produce greenish flowers instead of blue if growing conditions wrong - but haven't seen any pictures. As you can see from the piccies, the plant has gone completely bonkers in just one year, and I bought Josephine because I thought it was a relatively small growing variety.
I bought the plant from Hilliers in Prior Park, Bath. Would have thought it would be quite reliable supplier.
No waterbutts, never got a mulberry. All my tree-size spaces are spoken for now and not really room for all of those that are here.
And there's the passing years thing as well. Don't think I need to cut down to just annuals yet though
In the sticks near Peterborough
Right, having just googled pictures of the wild Clematis Vitalba, this is exactly what I have! Having given it the benefit of the doubt last year after planting, I have an absolute monster on my hands!! Many thanks to Nutcutlet!!!! Kinda explains why it is smothering everything depite hacking back a couple of feet last year and this.
It is going to be dug up tomorrow and money back sought from Hilliers.
Digging up will be difficult though, as it has quite hefty stems. I think my beautiful espalier plum and apple will thank me though.