Clematis Pruning Groups

Pruning Group 1 (PG1): Those which flower on old, ripened wood. Spring flowering species and their cultivars need little or no pruning. However, if they've outgrown their space, cut back and tidy up after the main flowering period has ended.

Pruning Group 2 (PG2): Types that produce two flushes of flowers; the first in the spring on old ripened growth from the previous year; the second during late summer on current year's growth. All dead and weak stems should be removed in late spring. If selective pruning is necessary, do it immediately after the early flowering period is over, working from the top of the plant down. Also prune back the flowered shoots to encourage re-blooming.

Pruning Group 3 (PG3): Clematis which flower on the current year's new growth after early summer. Do annual pruning in late winter or early spring, cutting back all the old stems to the lowest pair of live buds.

As the popularity of Clematis increases, gardeners want more information, so they can be successful with this 'Queen of the Vines'. Some excellent references are:

An Illustrated Encyclopedia of CLEMATIS, by Toomey and Leads
CLEMATIS the Genus, by Grey-Wilson
CLEMATIS, by Lloyd
The ROSE and the CLEMATIS as good companions, by Howells