Supplier of Clematis repen /Bells of Emei Shan

Rubytoo · December 2023

I have been half heartedly looking for an outlet that sells this clematis as I think ours has been damaged (possibly beyond recuperation).
Pretty much twisted and broken partially torn off at soil level.
It might recover but I really love this plant, grown it on for a few years it was a lovely specimen and want the option to replace it.

The local nursery we got it from used to sell a lovely range of British raised clematis but no longer does.

I would try cuttings but never been any good at Clematis and not the best time at the moment.

I think that Taylors (now sold , amalgamated to Sara Raven) did used to do it but I could not make the search work well and the range compared on that site is incredibly bad and frustrating.

Even the RHS site is not coming up with any suppliers which is unusual.

I don't know if I am doing a bad job searching or if it is not easy to get anymore.

Or might it regrow from roots?

There is not a lot of information on it, apart from an article on the international clematis site and reference on their old now defunct forum , or again, I might be searching badly.

clematisdorset · December 2023

Is this the clematis associated with Dan Hinkley? I think it might be rather rare and difficult to find.
This supplier in Wales might stock it but I found the website layout too time-consuming to be sure:

https://www.crug-farm.co.uk/

Silver surfer · December 2023

clematisdorset said:

Is this the clematis associated with Dan Hinckley? I think it might be rather rare and difficult to find?

Would appear to be the one.

Interesting write up below...quote from the link below

https://www.clematisinternational.com/page209.html

"This month we feature a rather unusual clematis which I first heard of in 2000 and the speculation, at that time, that it could be an epiphyte clematis.
Brewster Rogerson, the learned American Clematis expert, who has written many of the Clematis of the Month articles for this site, presented a paper at the Society's Conference in Dresden in 2000 about how he went about studying a new clematis, as yet unnamed, from China.
Brewster had a large collection of clematis plants (which are now part of the Rogerson Clematis Collection) and had received seedlings from two different sources three thousand miles apart.
Over two years of growing these seedlings Brewster noticed that two of the plants (one from each source) that he had received were growing in a prostrate manner with graceful yellow bells on very long, drooping stalks (pedicuncles) and bright green foliage. Initially the plants were not too similar to be obviously the same plant as one plant was a year older than the other but as the younger plant matured it became more similar to the older plant in its growth.
The first thing that Brewster noticed was the plants procumbent habit; he notes that "apart from the very newest Spring shoots, their stems do not even try to grow upright" and that "they grow along the ground without forming roots". Most clematis grow upright in that they either climb by clinging to something to pull them up or they start by growing erect before they get too heavy and then scramble happily along the ground. There are some other low growing clematis but their flowers turn up as they bloom (e.g. as does C. × cartmanii 'Joe'. However, this plant had flowers that hung down which was new in the clematis world.
Brewster was able to identify, after some research, that the two seedlings were from the same batch of seed collected by Dan Hinkley in 1996 in the region of Sichuan in China known as Emei Shan from a single plant that he found.
I mentioned above that the plant was first thought to be an epiphyte; a plant that grows on another. This was because when it was initially found it was observed as "growing as an epiphyte on a small tree in damp shade". However, the plants were growing in Brewster's greenhouse in pots of compost and growing well.
Brewster observed that the number of stems growing tangled round each other and wondered if this behaviour had contributed towards the initial speculation that the plant was an epiphyte. He enquired again and concluded that the tree where the parent plant was found had moss and perhaps other debris collected over time in the place in the tree where the plant's roots were growing. So unfortunately for science the plant is not an epiphyte.
However, this is good for us gardeners as we are able to grow it in our gardens and expand the ways in which we grow clematis. Brewster commented in 2000 that perhaps it could be grown in a hanging basket and this challenge has been taken up.
Everett Leeds, an English Clematis expert, decided to try growing a plant in a hanging basket and succeeded as you can see from the picture here that he sent me. Everett's plant has flowers and seed heads cascading down for 4 or 5 feet (over a metre), see picture on the right of this page. When Everett started his plant in his hanging basket it was known as Clematis repens.

C. 'Bells of Emei Shan' seedhead

Spurred on by seeing a picture of Everett's plant I eventually bought a plant (now known as C. 'Bells of Emei Shan') and tried to grow it myself in a hanging basket. This has been quite successful as you can see. This plant was potted in 2011 and this picture was taken in 2013. The number of stems hanging down is increasing every year. I am pinching out the growing tips to encourage them to bush out to cover and hide my plastic pot. I opted for a plastic hanging basket in order to have a water reservoir available to the plant in the summer as I am not around to water it every day.
When Everett sent me his photographs shown here he made a comment that "I have found that they like being kept slightly on the dry side when over wintering" so (this winter being the wettest since records began) we have been regularly emptying water out of my hanging basket's water reservoir.
Another tip is that moss may grow on the top of your hanging basket and if it does you should leave it as this is how the plant grows in the wild. This suggestion was too late for me last year as I had carefully removed the moss and top dressed the pot with gravel.
A final note is that in the process of writing this article I read Brewster's original article again and realized that he made the comment that the plants in his greenhouse like to grow in shade or at least the flowers prefer to bloom on the shady side of the plant. My plant is positioned in full sun so I am now thinking that I should move it this year to a position where it gets some shade in the summer and see if the plant responds. I look forwards to my plant one day reaching as far down to the ground as Everett's does!
My thanks to Everett Leeds for the use of his pictures in this article.
References: Clematis International 2001, Dresden Conference Papers: Studying an Unknown Clematis from China by Brewster Rogerson, page 75."

clematisdorset · December 2023

Clematis repens

4th October 2015

A small scrambling species from Sichuan in Southern China. It has been suggested for use in a hanging basket but the growth is a bit thin to make a good effect. It is very reluctant to climb and is probably best grown where it can dangle. This is probably the plant first introduced from Mount Omei by Dan Hinkley under the number DJHC.795 and subsequently named C. r. 'Bells of Emei Shan'. (It is not the only collection that has been made, but it seems to be the one that has been widely distributed).

Copied from:http://www.johnjearrard.co.uk/plants/cl/clematisrepens/species.html

Dovefromabove · December 2023

Fascinating … I wonder if @Richard Hodson has come across it?

Balgay.Hill · December 2023

I don't know if you have seen this site? Contact number to order.

https://foxfieldgardencentre.co.uk/product/clematis-repens/

Silver surfer · December 2023

It would seem from reading above that it has been renamed Clematis repens in UK
You could try here...

https://www.vanmeuwen.com/p/clematis-repens-summer-beauty/v12120VM

or

https://www.greenfingers.com/p31309/autumn_plants_clematis_repens.aspx

clematisdorset · December 2023

I did not see your informative post @Silver surfer - my internet is slow and patchy this am!

Rubytoo · December 2023

Thank you all.
@clematisdorset.
That is the one. At the time there was almost an argument about the plant on the forum due to the slight differences in the leaves I think.
But they decided it was the same. Hence my title

)
Ours had repens on the label when I bought it.
Do not look at John Jearrards epimediums.... you may possibly get hooked.

@Silver surfer
Thanks yes that is the article on ICS.
I did not fancy my chances at a hanging basket, but gave me the idea of this:

I grew ours in a large long tom type clay pot stood on another upside down, poor mans pedestal.
In the top pot I made a mini hazel hoop "obelisk" about one foot high, with a few stems tied in just to give it a little support. Then draped up and over at first then let it trail down.
I thought it would be better than just hanging, the weight could break the stems at the base of the plant.

I used a very free draining gritty compost.
I never took photos unfortunately.
It does, as mentioned, seem to prefer flowering on the shady side.

@Balgay.Hill
Thank you for the lead there too.

clematisdorset · December 2023

@thanks, @Rubytoo and I am looking for epidimediums actually so thankyou for the heads-up!

Rubytoo · December 2023

@clematisdorset, It is a good resource, I love that site I don't think they sell them? But if you are looking for nice quality Eps, A shameless plug for Edrom, no affiliation just good customer service and beautifully packaged plants deserve recommendation. Not all "in stock" at the moment they grow their own.

Supplier of Clematis repen /Bells of Emei Shan

Posts

C. 'Bells of Emei Shan' seedhead

4th October 2015