I have an evergreen clematis (Armandii) which is approximately four years old. The first two years it grew like mad and had beautiful blooms. Last year it developed a type of fungus or something where it leaves started to turn black underneath and eventually dried up and started falling off. I have another new plant which is growing but starting to do the same thing. It is planted in the back of a bed of roses and is in a protected area. Could it be something to do with the fertilizer I am using for the roses or is this a fungus which only effects the clematis. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks, Shirley
I think Clematis armandii may sometimes develop clematis wilt, although this is most often a problem with the large-flowered (deciduous) hybrids. Are you losing new stems, or just old leaves? Oldest leaves, on bottommost portions of stems discolor and die naturally, during the normal course of things. This is a significant drawback with this species, as these often persist and build up, like the 'skirt' of dead fronds on certain palms.
The first leaves to develop this problem seem to start at the bottom of the plant. The last plant was covered with black and dried up leaves after it had grown to a length that it covered the length of my veranda of about thirty feet. This new plant that I have is starting to have this problem and it is now about seven feet high.
