What Colors do Clematis Flowers Come in?

Clematis flowers are some of the most beautiful and beloved vines that you can grow in your garden. With their exquisite flowers and stunning scents, it’s no surprise that clematis is known as the “Queen of the Vines”. Clematis flowers also come in several gorgeous colors, with different types blooming across the flowering season. In this article, we’ll run through everything you need to know about what colors clematis flowers come in. 

Clematis Flower Colors – The Essentials

Clematis flowers come in colors like blue, pink, purple, red, white, yellow, and green. Many clematis cultivars have bi-colored blooms combining several of these inherent color tones. Different clematis groups bloom at varying times throughout the flowering season. In the language of flowers, clematis carries the symbolic meaning of wisdom, beauty, and the joy of travelers.

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Botanical Overview

Name:	Clematis
Scientific Name:	Clematis spp.
Native Range:	Parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including Asia, Europe, and North America
Growing Zones:	USDA Zones 4 to 9
Flowering Season:	Late winter until late fall, depending on the species
Colors:	Blue, pink, purple, red, yellow, white, green

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About Clematis Flowers

The Clematis genus covers approximately 300 species of flowering vines that belong to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Most clematis species grow in colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere throughout Asia, Europe, and North America.

Clematis are roughly divided into three main groups depending on when they bloom. This also affects when they need to be pruned.

• Group 1 Clematis are early-flowering species that bloom in late winter or spring.
• Group 2 Clematis typically have large, showy flowers and bloom in spring and summer.
• Group 3 Clematis are late-flowering varieties that bloom from summer until fall.

Clematis are also generally divided between large-flowered clematis and small-flowered clematis. These flowers can be further divided into smaller groups, such as Armandii, evergreen, herbaceous, Montana, Nelly Moser, and Viticella clematis.

Clematis flowers are extremely diverse, ranging from large open blooms to small bell or trumpet-shaped flowers. Many popular varieties of clematis also have wonderfully scented flowers though you’ll want to stay on top of common pests, bugs, and diseases. It’s also worth noting that all parts of the clematis plant are considered poisonous, so it’s prudent to wear protective gloves when overseeing any form of care with these plants. You can also transplant clematis in early spring if needed.

Clematis Flower Meaning and Symbolism

Thanks to their wide native range, clematis flowers are rich in meaning and symbolism. Clematis are believed to represent wisdom and moral beauty. They also symbolize a traveler’s joy due to the beautiful banks of Clematis vitalba flanking paths and roads during summer.

In the Victorian language of flowers or floriography, clematis was thought to represent cleverness due to its spreading nature. The Victorians also associated clematis with poverty. In hanakotoba – the Japanese language of flowers – clematis symbolizes moral beauty and being quick-witted.

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7 Clematis Flower Color Varieties

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Blue Clematis Flowers

Clematis flowers can come in various blue hues. Blue clematis flowers may represent patience, reliability, celebration, and tradition. Blue flowers can also symbolize developing love, so they can be a thoughtful gift in a burgeoning relationship.

Popular blue clematis varieties include:

• Clematis alpina ‘Blue Dancer’ – This beautiful climbing alpine clematis cultivar produces slightly twisted blue flowers and grows between 6.5 and 10 feet high. It’s also popular with pollinators.
• Clematis ‘Diana’s Delight’ – This large-flowered Group 2 clematis has striking blue flowers with creamy yellow centers. Each flower can grow up to 6 inches wide, while the plant can grow up to 6.5 feet tall.
• Clematis ‘Multi Blue’ – This Group 2 clematis cultivar produces dramatic double or semi-double navy blue flowers. ‘Multi Blue’ can grow up to 8 feet tall with flowers that are up to 5 inches wide and doesn’t require excessive watering.

Pink Clematis Flowers

Pink clematis flowers add beautiful shades of pale to deep pink to the garden. Pink flowers can symbolize happiness, hope, and joy. Pink clematis flowers are also associated with gentleness and platonic love, so they go down well as gifts for friends.

Pink clematis cultivars include:

• Clematis ‘Duchess of Albany’ – This prolific climbing clematis produces deep pink trumpet-shaped flowers with central bands of darker pink. It blooms during the summer and can grow between 8 and 12 feet tall.
• Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ – Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ is an early large-flowered variety. Its bright pink flowers have darker pink bands in each petal’s center. Each flower can grow up to 8 inches wide.
• Clematis ‘Vicki’ – This is a reasonably compact clematis cultivar with pink flowers with dark pink centers. It’s a late-flowering variety that grows up to 4 feet high.

Purple Clematis Flowers

Purple clematis flowers come in various exquisite shades, from deep purple to magenta. Purple flowers represent admiration, elegance, loyalty, and power, especially that of royalty. Purple clematis flowers are also associated with wealth and success.

Purple clematis varieties include:

• Clematis viticella – This quintessential purple clematis produces masses of bell-shaped purple or violet petals in summer and fall. This deciduous clematis can climb up to an astounding 16 feet tall.
• Clematis viticella ‘Etoile Violette’ – This cultivar of Clematis viticella wows with its dark, velvety purple flowers that grow up to 4 inches wide. These blooms emerge from mid to late summer.
• Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ – ‘Jackmanii’ is a sumptuous purple clematis with large violet flowers that can be up to 4 inches in diameter. This Group 3 cultivar blooms from early to late summer.

Red Clematis Flowers

Like many red flowers, red clematis varieties are usually associated with love, passion, and romance. Red flowers can also symbolize courage, devotion, and good health. Red clematis varieties come in gorgeous shades from crimson to scarlet or even a purplish-red.

Here are some popular red clematis cultivars:

• Clematis ‘Nubia’ – ‘Nubia’ is part of the renowned ‘Boulevard Series’ and produces rich deep red petals from late spring until early fall. It’s also a relatively compact variety that only grows to about 4 feet tall.
• Clematis ‘Rouge Cardinal’ – This variety falls into the sizeable late-flowering clematis group. It produces beautiful crimson flowers that can be up to 6 inches wide. ‘Rouge Cardinal’ can grow up to 12 feet tall.
• Clematis ‘Rebecca’ – Another member of the ‘Boulevard Series’, this clematis grows up to 8 feet high and has dark red petals. Each petal has a dramatic dark brown stripe running down the center.

White Clematis Flowers

White flowers are among the most symbolic, and white clematis flowers are no exception. White flowers are associated with innocence and purity. White clematis flowers can also represent humility and healing, especially from grief.

White clematis varieties include:

• Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ – This evergreen clematis cultivar produces masses of beautifully scented pure white flowers from early to mid-spring. It can grow up to 26 feet tall as a prolific climber.
• Clematis ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’ – This elegant clematis produces pure white double flowers in early summer and semi-double blooms in late summer. Each flower can grow up to 5 inches wide.
• Clematis ‘Moonlight’ – This deciduous clematis variety blooms from late spring to early summer. It produces large white flowers with pale green stripes in the center of each petal.

Yellow Clematis Flowers

Several clematis varieties produce yellow flowers, which can symbolize joy, hope, and happiness. Yellow flowers can also represent abundance as well as jealousy. Yellow clematis flowers usually come from cultivars of Clematis tangutica, otherwise known as golden clematis.

Here are some yellow clematis varieties:

• Clematis tangutica – This Group 3 clematis species is known as golden clematis or orange peel clematis. It produces beautiful lantern-like yellow flowers that have a nodding habit.
• Clematis tangutica ‘Golden Tiara’ – This gorgeous Group 3 golden clematis variety produces bright yellow flowers that open up into four petals. The central florets are dark green.
• Clematis tangutica ‘Lambton Park’ – This golden clematis cultivar grows vigorously, producing bright yellow lantern-like flowers from early summer until mid-fall. It can grow up to 26 feet tall.

Green Clematis Flowers

Green clematis flowers aren’t widespread and only appear in cultivated varieties. Green flowers are associated with rebirth and renewal, as well as prosperity. Some green flowers can be symbols of good luck.

Green clematis varieties include:

• Clematis ‘Green Passion’ – This striking cultivar produces green and white bi-colored double flowers from early summer until fall. ‘Green Passion’ is a Group 2 clematis that grows up to 8 feet tall. Each flower can be up to 6 inches wide.

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Wrapping Up

Clematis flowers can dazzle and delight with their exquisite range of colors, from pink and purple to red and white. Some clematis cultivars also produce beautiful bi-colored flowers. Many clematis flowers also have specific symbolism depending on their color. Clematis flowers generally symbolize wisdom and moral beauty along with the joys of traveling.

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