Bell-shaped flowers, cream studded with pink, open on a vine whose small fern-like leaves stay green all winter. Clematis cirrhosa is one of the very few clematis to bloom from mid-fall to early spring; give it shaded roots, a head in the sun and soil kept evenly moist, and it will flower at Christmas.
| Name | Clematis cirrhosa |
|---|---|
| Common | Evergreen Traveller’s Joy |
| Family | Ranunculaceae |
| Type | Vine |
| Height | 6 to 9 feet (2 to 3 m) |
| Soil | ordinary |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Foliage | evergreen |
| Flowering | mid-fall to early spring |
This Christmas clematis is one of the few species that bloom in winter. The range of colors is extensive, with patterns such as pink-studded cream and bell-shaped flowers. Its evergreen leafage is also beautiful: it looks like small fern leaves.
Traveller’s joy clematis (also called Virgin’s bowler) is planted indifferently in fall or in spring.
Clematis cirrhosa, like all other clematis vines, loves being rooted in a shaded spot while the head basks in the sun, especially during the winter blooming. It will still bloom even without much sun, luckily.
In summer, if sunlight hits the root collar, then cover it with an old tile or form a tent with a few flat rocks.
Cirrhosa Clematis requires some kind of structure to climb up along, it must be set at a distance of about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the root collar.
It is perfectly possible to grow your winter clematis in a pot, even though some varieties such as Clematis alpina are better suited because they grow even more slowly.
An easy plant to care for without much maintenance, this winter clematis actually won’t need any attention at all once it’s properly settled in.
However, at some point in time, you might wish to reduce the size of the branches or balance out the growth of your Evergreen Traveller’s joy. Best do this at the beginning of spring or in fall after the blooming.
Propagation:
Christmas clematis is quite easily multiplied, either through layering of young stems or via cuttings.
From fall through winter, you won’t need to water because rainfall will cover the plant’s needs.
However, if in pots, you’ll have to water your Evergreen Virgin’s bowler as soon as the soil feels dry to the touch.
Evergreen traveller’s clematis can’t withstand drought.
It cannot cope with excess water that might make roots rot away, either. A delicate balance to strike!
The botanical name of this clematis, “cirrhosa”, has nothing to do with the liver. The latin meaning of the word relates to how it latches on to branches and trellis: it has small tendrils.
Experts place this variety in the small-flowered clematis group.
Since it’s a relatively slow grower, it’s well-suited to growing in small spaces on a terrace, for instance.
Garden stores sell a few varieties and cultivars of Evergreen traveller’s joy, but most are difficult to find.
A species native to the Balearic islands, in Europe. This small group of islands is in the Mediterranean ocean, off the coast of Spain.
C. cirrhosa balearica has beautiful cup-shaped flowers with wine-colored freckles. The fern-like leaves stay on the vine during winter.
It blooms right in time for Christmas and New Year’s (early winter to midwinter).
Like most clematis varieties, this one is also toxic to horses, cats and dogs.
Garden stores stock only a handful of Evergreen traveller’s joy cultivars, and some are far easier to track down than others. Here is what each one brings.
| Variety | Flowers and foliage | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| C. cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’ | Named cultivar of Evergreen traveller’s joy | Sold by garden stores, but among those difficult to find |
| ‘Jingle Bells’ | Fragrant bloomer, timed for Christmas | Sold as a winter clematis |
| C. cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ | Very worthwhile in the garden | Possibly the easiest one to get hold of |
| C. cirrhosa ssp. balearica | Cup-shaped flowers with wine-coloured freckles; fern-like leaves stay on all winter | A subvariety of its own, native to the Balearic islands |
| ‘Landsdowne Gem’ | Uniform violet petals | One of the few cultivars on sale |
Whichever you pick, all of them flower on a slow-growing vine that suits a small terrace.
You can attach your traveller’s joy clematis to a lattice to ensure it grows the way you hope it will as it develops! Clematis cirrhosa can resist freezing and cold temperatures down to 5°F (-15°C), and even -4°F (-20°C) if it’s only a short while.
