Evergreen Clematis for privacy curtain

Discussion in 'Vines and Climbers' started by Chuck Bates, Oct 29, 2007.

  1. Chuck Bates

    Chuck Bates Member

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    Location:
    Port Coquitlam, BC
    I'm looking for a privacy curtain of plants on a raised covered deck. Evergreen Clematis keeps coming up in the conversations I've had with friends and family. Thought I'd turn to the experts out there....

    Particulars:
    - planted in pots or planters
    - Southern exposure
    - 4-5 hrs direct sunlight
    - approx. 8' tall x 16' long
    - not too thick as I don't want it to encroach too much of the deck

    Does this seem like a good choice?
    How many plants do you think I should purchase?
    Lattice or net for anchor?
    Do these plants require lots of pruning?
    Do they leave much debris around?

    Any help would be appreciated!
     
  2. globalist1789

    globalist1789 Active Member

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    Does this seem like a good choice?
    --Yes

    How many plants do you think I should purchase?
    --Two. See if you like them. You can always buy more.

    Lattice or net for anchor?
    --Lattice

    Do these plants require lots of pruning?
    --No

    Do they leave much debris around?
    --No
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Fast-growing and apt to bunch up, develop large amounts of old dead foliage. Not attractive in confined spaces unless pruned regularly, perhaps twice per year. Also not super hardy, plants in ground may be damaged periodically by cold weather in this region. In pots could be prone to freezing of roots.
     
  4. growest

    growest Active Member 10 Years

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    Hardiness will be an issue...these are "usually" fine in the ground, tho may get scorched by arctic outflows. But roots will want to be in the ground, not a container, over the winter.

    They can be heavily pruned after flowering, but if happy this will be an annual job once they settle in and fill the desired area. They can be very vigorous (when happy), otherwise they often sulk and die in their first year or so, in my experience :-(
     
  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Possibly clematis wilt disease.
     
  6. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Used to have one growing onto my porch from the neighbour's yard. Enormously vigorous plant, required constant pruning and suffocated some of my plants, and I'd also think it would need at least a lattice for structure. Lots of dead leaves that don't rot down readily. (Evergreen just means it always has green foliage, there is still constantly foliage dying off). Such vouminous output of vines, I can't imagine why you'd need more than one plant.

    Keep in mind that the primary feature of this plant, its fragrant flowers, comes early in the year when you're unlikely to be out. When you are out, I don't find it anywhere near one of the more attractive plants.

    For this setting, I think I'd go with any other vine. Do you need the privacy always, or only in spring/summer?
     
  7. Chuck Bates

    Chuck Bates Member

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    Thanks for all your input.

    Karin,
    Privacy in Spring/Summer for the most part.
     
  8. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Then you do not need to torment yourself with this plant.

    If you provide a better idea of the layout - ie how much planting area you'll have and what you need to screen - you might get some other ideas here. I could suggest other vines, but does it have to be a vine? Maybe a well placed small tree would work?
     
  9. Chuck Bates

    Chuck Bates Member

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    Thanks again Karin. I will take a pic of the area and post it. The one thing I liked about the Clematis was the fragrance....
     
  10. Sabine

    Sabine Active Member

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    I have a very similar situation. I have a raised deck and can see into my neighbors yards and I always feel like I am spying. I want to put up 8 ft trellises and grow vines on them. One side of the deck would be same conditions as this one, lots of sun, southern exposure, only a little bit of shade from a patio umbrella. Opposite side of deck is in full shade all winter, summer, it gets about 2-3 hours of afternoon/evening sun, northern exposure. I would love something evergreen on the northern exposure fence, because my fence is one of those every other plank fences, and my neighbors yard is just a bunch of overgrown weeds. The other, sunnier side I don't care if it's evergreen because my neighbor on that side is super nice and has a darling garden.

    I had been considering clematis armandi and also gelsemium (carolina jessamine) - would either of these work in these conditions? I can mainly plant in the ground, although the northern exposure shady side, about half of the deck sits on a concrete slab so one side would have to be in a pot.
     
  11. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Planting in pots always raises issues of frost susceptibility, drying out in summer and leaching of potting soil that may not occur to same extent - if at all - in nearby ground on same site. Both the evergreen clematis and the Carolina jessamine are two that seem likely to be especially prone to frost injury in containers of less than jumbo size. As a group broadleaf evergreens are primarily characteristic of mild climates, although, of course certain exceptions are pretty cold tolerant, even subzero hardy - bog rosemary for instance. Anyway, in season garden centers will have 5 gallon or larger firethorns, camellias, maybe cotoneasters as well as true climbers (vines) already trained onto trellises that can be planted for an instant head start on this effect.

    Another popular approach is to buy readily obtained, comparatively inexpensive columnar conifers (usually Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') and line those up, closely spaced for an instant green fence. Such plants do not have the flowers and light-reflective foliage of broad-leaved evergreens, of course.

    Selecting Zone 8 in the below search brought up a bunch of tender plants as part of the result so I changed it ot Zone 7 and got a pretty good, hardy assortment (on the first page, didn't look at all of the results). Going for Zone 7 hardiness would seem likely to reduce the risk with losses from freezing of roots also.

    Using search criteria Evergreen Shrubs etc.:

    http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.ns...AINS+Espaliers)+AND+(FIELD+CZones=7)&Count=10

    Changing Evergreen Shrubs to Vines:

    http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.ns...AINS+Espaliers)+AND+(FIELD+CZones=7)&Count=10

    Note in particular this item returned as part of second search result:

    http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.ns...57f9202b702080b7882568f0007eae4d!OpenDocument

    Parsley-like leaves not coarse like those of C. armandii yet flowering also profuse.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2008
  12. M. D. Vaden

    M. D. Vaden Active Member 10 Years

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    I agree with both sides of the opinion spectrum.

    It's a plant that I enjoy for a while when younger, and begin to dislike more as it gets older and more messy.

    It would be so nice if it's stem was more rigid and it had more of a branch network to manipulate.
     
  13. Chuck Bates

    Chuck Bates Member

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    Thanks for all your input. All interesting reading. Has anyone had any experience with the GRABER'S PYRACANTHA? The wide berth of this plant (8-10') will encroach on our deck space, but maybe I could prune it to grow tall and thin?

    Picture link:
    http://www.monrovia.com/plantinf.nsf/0/A4CB4F156D8229828825684D007220AB

    Does this plant create a big mess?

    Thanks!
     
  14. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Would be pruned each summer to maintain flat shape. Fruiting plants always make a mess. With firethorns you may also have birds coming for the fruits during snowy periods. Children and pets can be messy, too. You would be putting up with the mess in order to enjoy the visual spectacle firethorns produce when laden with fruits.

    Since these can be prone to blackening of the fruits in this region select one with known disease-resistance. I think 'Graberi' passes muster but you may find others offered locally. Check on those you find presented there before purchasing.
     
  15. dt-van

    dt-van Active Member 10 Years

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    I purchased an evergreen honeysuckle last year and it has done very well, though my site is more shady than yours. The leaves are prettier and the flowers come later than the clematis. It is vigorous, but might be easier to prune than the clematis and more reliably hardy. I just posted some winter photos of it in this forum. Here is a description :
    'Lonicera henryi'
    Charming, yellow-throated, purplish-red, tubular flowers in June and July and handsome, tapered, glossy, dark green leaves. This pretty honeysuckle is perfect for an informal, cottage-style garden in sun or partial shade. A vigorous, evergreen variety it provides valuable all-year cover for a pergola, arch or boundary wall.
    Position: full sun or partial shade
    Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
    Eventual height: 10m Eventual spread: 1m
    Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
    Flowering period: June to July Flower colour: yellow-throated purplish-red flowers
    Other features: small, purple-black berries, which may cause a mild stomach upset if ingested
    Hardiness: fully hardy (borderline)
     
  16. Chuck Bates

    Chuck Bates Member

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    Thanks for all your input all. I went with a Jasminum Stephanense Clematis with a Persion vine. I'll let y'all know how things turn out.
     
  17. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Note that Jasminum x stephanense and Clematis are two different kinds of plants. Presumably the third one is a passion vine (Passiflora).
     

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