Clematis 'Silver Moon'

    Raised by Percy Picton of old Court Nurseries, Colwall, England.  Introduced in 1971.  Silvery blue-gray flowers with yellow stamens,  4-6" across.  This is one of two clematis specifically recommended for total shade situations.  The other being C. 'Dawn' (light pink).

Flowering period: Late spring to early fall.

Habit: Moderately fast growing deciduous climbing vine.

Height: 8-10'.

Exposure:  Part shade to full shade. 

Site: Tolerates most garden soils.

Recommended use:  Grow on a trellis, arbor, obelisk, wall or fence, separately or in combination with other plants. 

Pruning: (Group 2 or 3)   Group 3 pruning will result in the loss of earliest flowers.  Group 3 pruning- trim to 12-18" during winter.  Group 2 pruning - When starting with a new plant prune as follows: during the winters of year 1 and 2 cut each stem ½ -1" above the lowest pair of active buds.  This will encourage low branching, giving you a fuller looking plant in later years.  Winter pruning after year 2 would be to cut each stem back to a strong pair of buds.  Remove dead or weak branches.  Hard pruning in winter will be at the expense of some spring flowers as they form on growth from the previous season.  You can prune this clematis to shape the plant in late spring after its main flowering period, with out the worry of cutting off potential flowers.    

Watering:  Likes regular water. Soil should be moist but not wet.  Water deeply and then allow to dry some to encourage deep rooting.

Zones: 4-9.