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Clematis Armandii or Star Jasmine?

squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
edited April 2021 in Problem solving
Hi all,

Like a typical amateur gardener I was eager to cover a 4m wide x 2m high fence and researched evergreen and fast growing climbers - I came up with clematis armandii which I purchased last summer. It’s in a pot and not yet trained on the wall.

However reading forums on this site has put me off growing it due to its growth habit and the flowering only on top. Star jasmine seems to be the popular choice.

any thoughts would be welcome before I commit to armandi and train it on the wall.

thanks 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    My neighbour has an armandii on their pergola. I can't ever recall seeing any flowers on it.
    I had a star Jasmine on a fence panel which flowered from top to bottom, had a fabulous perfume and even coped being smothered by a clematis.
    Sadly they had to go when I extended the house a couple of years ago.
    Star Jasmine is not hardy in all parts of the UK, but if your conditions are suitable, I'd go for the SJ (trachelospermum Jasminoides)



    Not sure why the photo has been re-orientated - seems to be happening a lot recently...

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    I've a round clematis armando and it's blooming beautifully. My in-laws have a huge one on a pergola and it's flowering all over. Don't give up on it yet!
    I also planted a star jasmine at the end of summer last year so I haven't seen it flower yet but it has survived the winter.
    I say, have both!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Looks nicer the right way up. 🙂
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    A well looked after and well planted clematis armandii will flower for a couple of months between March and May depending on how sheltered you are.  It should have a perfume of almonds, hence the name.  It can be pruned, if necessary, once flowering finishes.   Do it at the wrong time and you lose the flowers for the year.  It can get to 7m long/wide/high depending on how you train it.

    Star jasmine will flower for a similar period but a bit later - May June so less prone to frost damage.   It also has a good perfume and is evergreen tho the leaves usually turn a bronzey red in winter when it's cold.  prune, if needed, immediately after flowering.   It will get to a similar size to the clematis.  
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @lyn :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited April 2021
    As C. armandii tends to romp up to the top of a support, you could probably grow the Star Jasmine (which can be a bit slow to climb initially) alongside it to cover the lower fence. I do think the Clematis might end up a bit too big though.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Clematis will naturally romp vertically.  The trick is to catch them at it and re-direct teh stems horizontally or diagonally to cover a wider space.  This also has the effect of slowing sap flow and making more flowering buds lower down.

    I'm assuming my trachelospermum will be the same but only planted it out last autumn and it has yet to put on a spring burst.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    My Clematis armandii is presently (after 10 years!) going mad and flowering profusely. The new growth on top of the berberis hedge it's growing on is now waving at me out of reach. It seemed to have a new lease of life after it had had to be cut back severely at the same time as the berberis a couple of years ago.
    My TJ was growing equally as rampant last year but seems to have suffered over this last winter so I'm waiting to see if it recovers. I wouldn't say it was very prolific in flowering though but is in partial shade.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Thank you all so much for getting back to me! It seems, as I’m discovering with most things gardening-related, there isn’t a clear consensus! 

    I think I’ll give the clematis a shot for now. Speaking of which, I purchased mine last summer and planted it in a 40cm pot. It’s grown very well but I read on the RHS website it should be pruned heavily when young to encourage growth. I’m assuming I should do this after it flowers, if indeed it does flower this year? I’d say it’s currently around 60cm tall on a trellis but not thick growth.
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Beautiful photo @Pete.8
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