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Can i cut clematis to the ground


Pruning Clematis | Plant Addicts

Author Kathy Jentz Updated 1-28-2022

Clematis are perennial vines with beautiful flowers. They are said to be hard to prune and that they are demanding plants to grow, but actually they have very simple needs.

Don’t be afraid to prune them. Even if you make a mistake, you won’t kill them by pruning at the wrong time. At worst, you may not have a year with many blooms on the plants as they recover from being cut back, but the plants will come back the next year and be just fine.

When to Prune Clematis

For many beginning and even experienced gardeners, the question of “when do I cut back my clematis” is often a confusing one, because the answer to when should you cut is – it depends! There are three general groups of clematis vines and each has their own best time to prune them. You must first know when your clematis vine blooms in order to know what pruning group it is in.

Group 1 are those that bloom in the early spring time. They bloom on old wood and form their flower buds for next year during the summer growing season. These generally do not need any pruning. Though, if you are going to cut them to control the size of the plant, trim right after the plant is finished blooming. If you do so at this time, you can do so ruthlessly and cut it back as much as you like.

Group 2 Clematis are those that bloom in early summer. These kinds have flowers on both old and new wood. This is the most common kind and they are large-flowered hybrids. The best time of the year to prune them is in the early spring before new growth begins. Make your cuts just above the healthiest-looking buds. Next, cut out any tangles and damaged wood.

Group 3 Clematis are those that bloom from mid-summer well into fall such as Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’. They bloom only on new wood and can be cut back hard in the late winter or early spring to within 6 inches of the ground. This is the best time and will rejuvenate your vine. It seems radical, but this is actually the best way to clear out all that old growth and start fresh each year.

How to Prune Clematis

Step 1 – First determine what group of clematis it is.
See “When to Prune Clematis” to figure out which of the three groups your vine is in and that will tell you what time of year is best to cut them back and how much to do.

Step 2 – Next clean and sharpen your pruners.
It is important to have sanitized and sharp cutting blades. You can use a sharpening stone or have your pruners professionally sharpened. To sanitize them, wipe the blades with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. It is a good idea to wipe the blades between each plant and before moving on to a new one so you don’t transfer possible diseases from one to another.

Step 3 – Follow the vines down to the base of your clematis.

Clematis Pruning Tips

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Tips for Pruning Clematis l Wayside Gardens

How to Prune Your Clematis

In order to know when it’s the right time to prune your clematis you must first know which pruning group your clematis variety belongs to. If you bought your clematis from Wayside Gardens, our website or catalog will tell you whether the plant is part of Group 1, 2, or 3. The clematis group dictates the ideal time for and extent of pruning. If your specific clematis variety isn't being offered this season, give us a call and we'll happily look up the group your clematis variety belongs to. You may also be able to identify the group by your clematis’s blooming habit.

Group I Clematis: Early Spring Blooming

Blooms in early spring from buds set the previous season on old wood; doesn’t die back in winter.

Prune only when needed, after spring blooming is complete.

Group one clematis tend to bloom early in the spring and should only be pruned sparingly. After the colorful bloom-show is over you can give them a light pruning. All you want to do is clear out dead wood and keep the stems tidy.

Since this group blooms only on old wood, cutting too low or too early in the season could cost you flowers!

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Group II Clematis: Repeat Blooming

Typically includes reblooming clematis varieties that produce flowers on old wood in late spring into early summer and often bloom again on new wood in late summer or fall.

In March, remove dead wood and cut the remaining stems 6 to 8 inches to just above a pair of strong buds.

Group two clematis should be given a moderate trim. Since they bloom on old and new wood alike, you want to trim just enough to encourage new growth, but without losing any promising buds.

Complete this pruning in March, before blooming has begun. This group tends to bloom toward the middle of the season, setting flowers on old wood in late spring to early summer and then reblooming on the new wood through late summer or even into early fall. This group of clematis is a bit more forgiving even if you prune a bit too harshly, you can still enjoya late season rebloom.

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Group III Clematis: Summer or Fall Blooming

Blooms on new wood in the summer and fall; dies back to the ground over winter.

Each year in March, prune all stems back to a strong set of buds 12 inches from the ground to make way for new growth.

Group three clematis are the easiest to prune, since you cut so extensively. This group goes dormant in the winter, letting the stems die off, and then stems grow anew each spring. rowth.

Clematis in group III will come back strong each year with blooms on new wood. Since they re-grow from their pruned 12 inches and reach their mature size each summer, they tend to be the last to flower, opening in late summer or fall. Shop for Group III Clematis.

SHOP FOR GROUP III CLEMATIS

IMPORTANT Special Pruning Instructions for Your New Clematis

First Season Clematis Pruning

Every variety, regardless of group, should be cut back to about 5 inches from the ground in late winter/early spring the first year after it is planted. While it’s not a must, your clematis will certainly still grow and flower without this first season trim but if you want a bushier, stronger, tighter growth habit, with flowers that begin at the base of the plant instead of beginning 4 feet off the ground, cut every stem back to 5 inches from the soil. Don't worry about leaving buds; Clematis handles that sort of thing with underground growth.

Note that if your Clematis is in Group 1 or 2, this first-year pruning means that you won't get blooms this first year. Since these groups bloom on old wood, the previous season's growth, you will lose one season of color. But the promise of top to bottom blooms on your clematis vine for years to come will more than make up for the one early season without flowers.

Reinvigorate even your long-established vining clematis by cutting every stem that's coming out of the ground to 5 inches tall. Even if your clematis has been twining up a trellis for years without a trim, this pruning will revive the blooms all along the stems. Maybe you have noticed fewer blooms each year or, perhaps, flowers only at the very end of the stems? This pruning will refresh that floriferous growth.

Second Season Clematis Pruning

A further second year pruning is recommended for clematis in Groups 1 and 2.  While, again, not required, it will improve the lush, many-stemmed, blooming of a happy clematis. In this second year you would prune all stems back to about 3 feet from the ground in late winter/early spring. You will have blooms this year, because everything above 5 inches from the ground is old wood, based on your first season pruning. With this method your clematis won't grow tall as quickly, but it will encourage more shoots for a fuller, superior-flowering clematis for years to come. But if you're ready to plant it and forget it, clematis are very forgiving and will flower beautifully for many seasons without this early pruning.

If your Clematis is in Group 3, skip the second-year pruning. Your variety blooms on new wood, so this pruning is unnecessary.

Once you know which group your clematis belongs to and have that first-year trim out of the way, it’s easy to keep this woody climbing perennial vine looking its best and blooming like crazy with the appropriate pruning. Just a few minutes once a year will yield you armloads of flowers for many seasons. Clematis have many uses in the garden and landscape, from hiding unsightly views behind the fence to decorating garden trellises and stylish strutures .

Shop for clematis vines to plant in your garden and landscape.

How to prune clematis: pruning and caring for clematis by groups

January 22, 2021

Clematis belongs to the undisputed leaders among the crops used for vertical gardening. A variety of shapes, colors and sizes of the flower will appeal to any gardener. Abundant, long-term flowering of the vine directly depends on the care and pruning of the shoots. How to prune clematis?


Clematis pruning begins in the first year after planting. To reduce the load on the root system, it is necessary to cut the shoot of the vine up to 30 cm before the onset of winter. In addition, sanitary pruning of the plant is carried out annually. Damaged, diseased, weak branches are removed, and in the fall, unripened, thin shoots are removed. They are the most exposed to the cold. However, the pruning of the vines in groups has the greatest influence on the development of the plant and the abundance of flowering.


Peculiarities of trimming by groups

All varieties of flowering vines are divided into groups. It is important to consider this characteristic when choosing a landing site, with further care of the plant. Ignorance of the belonging of a particular variety to a group leads to errors in pruning clematis, and, as a result, to a weakening of the plant, late flowering or rejection of it. Proper pruning of clematis in groups will increase the strength of the growth of the vine, the number of buds and their size.

First group

Group A (or the first group) includes varieties and species that flower on old branches at the beginning of the season. These include princes, vine and mountain varieties. Therefore, formative pruning can be started immediately after flowering in the first half of summer. Faded shoots are shortened in length by half. This type is characterized only by sanitary pruning, when dry, weak, undeveloped branches are to be removed. The main shoots in autumn are slightly cut in length, leaving at least 1 meter.


Anti-aging pruning is carried out every two years, removing a quarter of the oldest shoots. To increase the frost resistance of the plant, it is spudded for the winter. Complete pruning of old branches in clematis of this group leads to a refusal to bloom.

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Second group

Group B (second) includes popular large-flowered hybrids, which are distinguished by their bright color and large flower diameter. Their buds are formed on both new and old branches. The time of flowering also depends on this: flowers appear on old shoots in spring, and on young shoots in summer. The first pruning is carried out after the end of the first flowering wave to stimulate the beginning of the second. Before cold weather, weak, overgrown shoots are removed, leaving a few of the strongest, no more than 10-12 pieces. They are cut to 0.7-1.2 m and slightly covered.


Complete pruning of branches leads to a weakening of the plant, flowering can begin only by autumn. However, the lack of pruning will negatively affect the vine. Shoots quickly thicken, clematis spends energy on growth, not flowering. The flowers become smaller, quickly fade, their number is significantly reduced.

Third group

Group C (third group) includes clematis varieties that produce flowers only on young shoots. These include small-flowered species, a number of hybrid and garden forms.


They can bloom from mid-summer to autumn. Pruning of shoots of creepers is carried out several times a season, removing faded, weak, damaged stems. Complete pruning of old branches is carried out in the fall, leaving only small (up to 15 cm) shoots that slightly spud.


If old shoots are left in the clematis of the third group, then the plant will have a neglected, overgrown appearance, and flowering will be delayed, since last year's shoots will take most of the nutrients.



Combination pruning can be applied to mature, healthy group C clematis. At the same time, several old shoots are left for wintering in order to get early flowering. Such pruning is not carried out for weakened and young plants.


Proper pruning and care of clematis in groups stimulates the growth of the root system, the active growth of shoots, the formation of numerous, large buds. A well-groomed plant has a healthy appearance, will pleasantly surprise you with lush flowering, and will become the highlight of the garden.

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Pruning clematis. The haircut has just begun.

The current trend of using vertical space in the garden is gaining interest and popularity. More and more climbing and cascading plants are becoming residents of vegetable gardens and home gardens. One of the brightest representatives among garden vines is clematis, which can live up to 50 years with proper planting and care.

Regular and correct pruning of clematis helps to increase the growth and flowering of this long-lived plant. Just the thought of it strikes fear into the hearts of even experienced gardeners. But left unattended, the vine can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base, forming buds and flowers only from above. The root system and the plant itself must develop in proportion. Top growth should be restrained until the root is sufficiently developed to support the mass of the plant. Pruning will encourage branching and development of stems from buds underground. Therefore, go ahead. It's not that hard.

There are three groups of clematis, the pruning of which is also different:

1. This group includes varieties that bloom on the shoots of the previous season. We remove only dry and lifeless branches. If some stems only appear dead after winter, wait until the leaves appear on the rest of the plant and then cut in sections (15-20 cm) from the top to avoid prematurely removing what is actually alive. Thinning can be done in subsequent years.

2. Clematis of the second group bloom both on last year's shoots in spring and on young ones - in August, twice a season. Pruned shoots together with seedlings after the first flowering. If clematis has outgrown its space, it needs corrective pruning and rejuvenation. However, keep in mind that pruning after the second bloom can be more substantial, leaving up to 1 meter above the ground in case you are going to cover the plant for the winter. Since new growth will be stimulated and young shoots will be destroyed by cold weather.

3. Compulsory and thorough haircut. Long winters for outdoor plants are always stressful. The third group includes the most suitable plants for our Russian gardens. Flowers are formed on shoots that grow annually, which are cut in late autumn to the first true leaf, or leave 20 cm of the stem. Such pruning will reward with the appearance of new vigorous shoots from the root rosette, will lead to multi-stem clematis strewn with flowers. In representatives of this group, the stems, with a strong death from frost, grow in the first spring, or the next year, since the roots remain alive.

After a pruning session, it is recommended to feed with a good all-purpose fertilizer and lime. If the soil lacks phosphorus, you can add superphosphate around the base.

Pruning is essentially a rejuvenating process. Liana will become beautiful and young if you cut off branches older than three years, almost to the base. Young shoots immediately will not keep you waiting. And the stems of a younger age are simply shortened. The result is double, even triple flowering, which begins on the shoots of last year, then flowers on young branches that have been shortened almost to the ground come to replace. Pruning also helps keep the Clematis vine free from fungal stem rot, prevents the spread of disease, and encourages new growth from the remaining healthy tissue. Thinning out the dense tangle of stems opens the remaining shoots to air and light and reduces the number of leaves that can hold moisture, which encourages wilting and other diseases.

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