Pruning: Group III Clematis

Group III blooms, such as the sweet autumn clematis Lyndy is chopping pruning (pictured on left), are late (summer and fall) bloomers and are the best for the South. Floriferous and showy, they take the heat of the day and tolerate warm nights. This group blooms only on new wood. They also require the most pruning, but it is the easiest: Cut back all of the previous year’s stems to within 8 inches of the ground as Lyndy does with her must-have pruners, Felco #2s.

Note: If you are unsure which group you have, try this: Cut three to five stems back so that they are 2 feet long. Cut the rest back to 12 inches.