There are two clematis that include the word "rubromarginata". I have grown "Triternata x rubromarginata" and LOVE it, but have not been able to keep it going beyond its first year for some reason. I've tried 3 times. :(

Hi Gardenbug, how was the soil your trit rubro was in?I know it needs a super well drained soil and a good amount of sun with no wind.

Yes, Gardenbug! I mean't Triternata Rubromarginata. It is beautiful and I think I'm going to try it. What do I have to lose? I do have a spot that slopes down and away, so I'm thinking that it would satisfy the extra drainage requirement that I've read this clematis needs. So we shall see...

Tzus

No wind is an impossibilty here, but I do my best with screening etc. I have friends with this same problem, but another friend in Michigan with great success. Here is his TxR with Hagley's Hybrid:

{{gwi:581893}}

I just purchased C. Triternata Rubromarginata and plan on having it grow with Rose, Don Juan on the Southside of my house. I hope it's happy there and gives me lots of blooms!

I've tried twice. The second time being last summer. It has not yet made an appearance (and I will admit to being concerned).

I've not yet had a single flower and my wife will not let me get another one if this one dies (because of the problems we had getting the last one).

It sure is a pretty one, though.

~Chills

I put one in last spring. It sat and looked at me all summer, never bloomed, didn't grow and by fall I was pretty sure it was a goner. However this spring it is off and running. Already about two feet of new growth. It has pretty good drainage for my yard but I'm about 100 yards from a wetland. I put in about 15 new clematis last summer and the "Rubro" is doing better than most of the other new clematis. Hold on it may still come up. I had to brush mulch away to find new growth on two of my newbies last week end.

I don't have any problems with standing water, but the ground doesn't even dry as long as I keep mulch in the area. Most plants love it.

I planted it and kept it watered. The plant struggled along, going yellow and then brown in late September. I am hoping it will make a re-appearance soon. I have brushed back the mulch and have access to the base of last year's stem which seems solidly still attached to something underground.

We're expecting warm temps this week, so I hope that will awaken it.

~Chills

I am in zone 8 and it is wonderful. It blooms for 3 months for me and is very fragrant. It gets very large and grows fast. If you can, plant it close to a patio, door or window so you can enjoy the fragrance. I think you will love it.

GArdenbug, where are you getting it from? Better question (since Clematis are not importable through Windsor) is where did your friend in Michigan get hers?

~Chills

Sorry, I don't know where he got his from. He could have ordered it from Joy Creek or Chalk Hill, but I bet he found it close by.

As I'm also in Mi, if there is a local source I'd like to know about it. I managed to get the last one at a Canadian nursery last summer, though even if they still had more I can't bring them into the states due to import restrictions.

~Chills

I looked in my notes and found that I bought this one from Completely Clematis Nursery a couple of years ago.
You'll like it; they still carry it.

Debbie Fischer also has TxR. She has very healthy plants with great root systems....
See her website at
http://www.silverstarvinery.com/vine_list_t.asp

I succumbed. I ordered TxR this week from Silver Star Vinery.

That makes 16 (possibly 17, I have another one that has not made an appearance yet) Clematis.

~Chills

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering, Chills, if you managed to have a XRM flower or not?

I love this clematis and always wanted to have one. So, I decided to order two and try them in two different areas. And see if one of them will survive.
Only time will say, if they will or not, here in zone 4 :)

Chalk me up as one who has tried twice with this clematis and failed. It looks like it would be a bomber, but seems to be wimpier than its appearance.

Oh, well it seems, mine won't either.

I'll put it a cover on it, and hope for the best.

I've gotten 2 of them to flower, 1 of them to survive 2 winters and I've killed 3 of them so far.

I am either a glutton for punishment or maybe done trying this one...

Its only 1 of three kinds of clematis I have killed (and I have 20+ in the ground currently)

~Chills

Do you mean the two you managed to flower, and the one that survived 2 winters, are dead now? Or did you have 6, and three of them are still alive?

Did you anything special for winter protection? Or did they have adequate snow cover or where they in a protected spot?

I know I don't have much of a chance, but you never know, it might survive :)

i've had 3 of them. I know, now, that poor drainage killed at least one of them (probably two of them)

The third one actually still has some green left on it (and it is in its 2nd year in the ground) so there's hope.

I'm not sure it needs snow cover here, but the drainage thing seems to be an absolute.

~Chills

I've got one in a well draining soil. But not much sun, unless it grows :)
For the other, I added some sand to the soil mix, when I planted it. It is a richer soil, maybe not as well draining.

So, hopefully it will be adequate.
For the time being they are both static, in "sleep" mode.

As, for snow cover, from what I understand it is a bit fragile in my zone, so a good snow cover + mulch will help.

I wish you luck with your clematis.

This is my second year with Triternata Rubromarginata in zone 3 and planted with west exposure against the foundation of my home. The plant had grown very strongly this spring and began flowering in July with clouds of bloom, though little scent was noted until later in the season when its almond scent had begun to waft nicely on in the air. Tons of rain had been received this summer and sometimes the downspout had overflowed right next to the house, though I hadn't been overly concerned as this clematis was a good 5 ft away from that and in deeply prepared free draining soil .... mmmm, well the plant had then soon begun to badly wilt when all others nearby were soaking up the additional water and thriving ... so, indeed Triternata Rubromarginata very much resents wet feet, even temporarily. I cut back the dead top growth and its begun shooting out a bit from the bottom, though next year will prove just how much of a setback it has received.

Terrance

Hi Terrence,

Thanks so much for your post. It clears a lot the myth about this particular clematis. So it is more a question of wet feet, than hardiness that kills this plant.

I was wondering do you still mulch it for the winter?

Hi Terrence,

Thanks so much for your post. It clears a lot the myth about this particular clematis. So it is more a question of wet feet, than hardiness that kills this plant.

I was wondering do you still mulch it for the winter?

Hello true_blue ... I do not mulch any clematis planted against the foundation of my home, they're just placed with about 4 inches of stem below ground level in deeply dug and amended soil. Even in very cold climates, a warm zone exists next to the foundation due to heat radiating out, especially so with heated cement basements. My plants are situated about 8 inches from the foundation and have never experienced any troubles as some have claimed can be caused by the cement. Many foundations are sealed with tar and cause no harm to the roots of plants, though just be sure to keep them properly watered, as of course it can become very dry in such a position ... that's if you don't have a leaky downspout nearby, lol.

Hi Terrence,

Thanks for the fast reply.

This is really such great info. I am sure a lot of people longing for this clematis, yet afraid of it's finickiness, will decide to go for it next year. Lol!

I'd read somewhere (probably here), that it doesn't like wet feet. Your experience proves this point. Anyway, I got two this spring. (I nearly got three!)

One is close to the foundation, yet that portion is not heated.
I mixed a lot of sand, with the soil, before planting it.
It has two 1 foot branches, and it is in "sleep mode".

The 2nd one, I first planted in the front but, soon one of the branches died and it looked very miserable, probably due to the shady location.

So, I transplanted it in the back in a sandy-ish well draining soil. The poor thing survived the shock and seems ok. It is a protected by a 1 foot retaining wall and a 80 year old honeysuckle trunk.

The plan is that if it decides to survive, ( I don't see why not) to grow and climb all over, the honeysuckle and flower.

So, next year, I'll post an update and let you know.
Btw, happy thanksgiving :)

- Bob

Bob, so often I've read of this clematis resenting wet feet and indeed my plant went into steep decline after the downspout incident, the large vigorous plant turned yellow and dried up within a matter of about ten days ... though, I just checked now and there's tons of thick new underground shoots formed and ready to wait out the long winter ahead, so it appears to remain nice and healthy :)

As for hardiness, after this past winter of minimum -30 C /-22 F, shoots were sprouting nearly 4ft up the old stems, though these were then hard pruned back.

Bob, all my clematis are in deeply amended sandy silty soil in which they seem to love! I look forward to your spring update and meanwhile, do pass the turkey ... though, first that homemade stuffing!

Terrance

Just an update on 2nd year of the Rubros.
The one close to the unheated foundation survived and has grown around 6 feet. It is in flowers now and one can smell the wonderful almond scent wafting, I really like this clematis. It is very dainty :)
The 2nd one transplanted, in the sandy spot didn't make it. Probably a combination of transplant shock, and not having a fence behind it, I don't know. As we had more than adequate snow cover last winter.
Anyone any updates?

Wow that's amazing. How old is your plant?

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone had tried growing it in a container. Perhaps you could then control drainage issues.

I have killed this plant twice, neither time in a container, but situated in a well-drained area. No idea what made it unhappy. I have one more chance to kill it before I give up on it.

I grow it. And in a container. And have for a number of years. I find it no more difficult - or easier - than growing any other type of clematis.

I will say that it doesn't bloom as heavily as I expected but that may be the siting. In my garden it is difficult to find sufficient sun that isn't a deer dinner table so it gets more shade than it would prefer.

New growth on mine is going gangbusters at the moment!!

I have two on order that I plan to grow in containers and train up columns. I guess time will tell.