Clematis 'Stand by Me'

Clematis 'Stand by Me': Nodding Blue Bells, No Trellis Required

Blue nodding bells on upright stems, followed by silky seed heads. 'Stand by Me' is the loyal friend of the border, blooming hardest early and still checking in all summer. THE ONE WHO HELPS YOU MOVE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Clematis hybrid
• Common Name: Bush Clematis
• Series: Stand by Me, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 86–97 cm (34–38 in)
• Spread: 61–91 cm (2–3 ft)
• Flowers: Nodding, bell-shaped blue flowers, followed by silky seed heads
• Bloom Time: Late spring to summer (June to August), heaviest in early summer with some rebloom
• Foliage: Green, on upright, non-vining stems
• Features: Non-vining, rabbit resistant

Where to Plant: It's a lovely mid-border plant for sunny cottage gardens and pollinator beds. The stems benefit from a plant ring or cage, or you can let them lean into sturdy neighbours. It also works in a large patio pot with a hidden support.

Companion Plants: Give this blue bush clematis a sunny or part-shade bed with red, purple and gold around it. Paeonia 'Buckeye Belle' opens glossy deep red peonies at 60 to 75 cm in late May and early June. Lilium 'Golden Matrix' adds upward-facing gold lilies at 40 to 50 cm in June and July. Hemerocallis 'Purple de Oro' brings purple reblooming daylilies at 50 cm in July and August. Sesleria autumnalis adds chartreuse tufts at 30 to 45 cm that flower from August to October.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in average, well-drained soil, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Mulch around the base to keep the roots cool and moist, the way clematis like it. Water regularly the first season and in dry spells. Put supports in early, before the stems start to flop. Each spring, cut last year's stems down to 8–10 cm (3–4 in). New shoots rise from the crown below the soil line.

History: 'Stand by Me' was bred by Hans A. Hansen in his garden in Waseca, Minnesota, from a 2008 cross of Clematis fremontii, a short, non-climbing species from the central United States, with Clematis integrifolia, a non-climbing species from Europe and Asia. It later became the parent of 'Stand by Me Lavender' and 'Stand by Me Pink'.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbits ignore it, pollinators adore it. Plant three and you've got a support group. NO LADDER NEEDED.