Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Clematis montana bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called mountain clematis, anemone clematis (Clematis montana).

More about clematis montana

About Clematis montana

Clematis montana · also called mountain clematis, anemone clematis · flowering

Clematis montana is a vigorous, hardy spring-flowering climber that smothers itself in masses of small four-petalled flowers, white through to pink, often vanilla-scented, in late spring. Fast and robust, it quickly covers large walls, fences, sheds and trees. A Group 1 clematis, it flowers on old wood and needs only light pruning straight after blooming.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Outgrows its space: This is one of the most vigorous clematis and can swamp small structures. Give it room on a large wall, fence or tree, and prune immediately after flowering to control size.

The reasons clematis montana isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming clematis montana traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding clematis montana a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get clematis montana to flower

Maximise sun. Give clematis montana the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for clematis montana and get the feeding right with the clematis montana fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Clematis montana flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full clematis montana care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Clematis montana blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my clematis montana flower?

Clematis montana blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make clematis montana bloom?

Give clematis montana the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does clematis montana normally bloom?