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'Sweet Summer Love' Clematis x

Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
Mature Size
15' 10' 4.6m 3.0m
Height: 10' - 15'
Spread: 6' - 10'
Height: 3.0m - 4.6m
Spread: 1.8m - 3.0m
  • Details

    120 - 180 Inches
    72 - 120 Inches
    72 - 120 Inches
    3.0m - 4.6m
    1.8m - 3.0m
    1.8m - 3.0m

    Features

    When the world-renown clematis breeder Szczepan Marczynski of Poland told us he had what amounts to a sweet autumn clematis with red flowers that change to purple and that blooms months earlier, we were all in. The fragrance of sweet autumn clematis is as good as any plant in existence, and the same goes this beauty. Most Clematis can be tricky to grow, with brittle stems that break if you so much as look at them, but this plant is super sturdy and grows like a dream. Anyone can be successful growing this variety. It's as close to perfection as a plant can be.

    'Sweet Summer Love' gives you everything you want: the flowers, the fragrance, the ease of growth and cranberry-violet blooms that start over a month earlier than others - starting in July in the midwest and northeast, and lasting until mid-September. It will add lots of drama to gardens when trained up a trellis or other support.

    The first year you plant it, it does not do much besides grow roots. The next year it takes off, however, it is much more restrained than sweet autumn clematis and does not litter the garden with unwanted seedlings. This plant has what it takes to be the best-selling clematis of all time. It won a DGA Green Thumb award for the best new plant of 2014 and we expect it to earn many more awards and accolades as people get to know it.  

    'Sweet Summer Love' clematis is featured in our "Aroma Therapist" magazine ad.

    Fragrant Flower
    Long Blooming
    Vine: 
    Vine

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Shrub
    Shrub Type: 
    Deciduous
    Height Category: 
    Tall
    Garden Height: 
    120 - 180 Inches 3.0m - 4.6m
    Trails Up To: 
    180 Inches 4.6m
    Spacing: 
    72 - 120 Inches 1.8m - 3.0m
    Spread: 
    72 - 120 Inches 1.8m - 3.0m
    Flower Colors: 
    Purple
    Flower Shade: 
    cranberry-violet
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    clean
    Habit: 
    Climbing
    Container Role: 
    Thriller

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Part Sun to Sun
    Light Requirement: 
    Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Blooms On: 
    New Wood
    Bloom Time: 
    Early Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Mid Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Late Summer
    Hardiness Zones: 
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Soil PH Category: 
    Neutral Soil
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses Notes: 

    Landcapes.  May also be grown on a trellis in a large patio container.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Prefers average, well-drained but moist soil. Keep the roots cool. May benefit from a hard pruning in late winter.  Leave at least two pairs of buds on each stem.

    Cranberry-purple flowers. Fragrant. Vine. Long bloom time.

    'Sweet Summer Love' Clematis x USPP 24,044, Can 5,303
  • 19 Reviews

    5
    9
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    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • Year three, and the vines are only three feet tall at best. Planted in full sun area, great soil, roots shaded. No flowers, no growth.

      Janice
      , Ontario
      , Canada
      , 13 weeks ago
    • I have two of the Sweet Summer Love. Last summer was the 3rd season for one and 4th for the other. Both are placed where their roots are shaded, but their vines would be in sun, assuming they ever made vines. I have quite a few clematis, and they all bloom fine. Both of these started spindly, as expected, but both continue spindly even years later. I am very disappointed. My Sweet Autumn clematis makes masses of blooms. I expected something similar from these. Last summer, one got maybe three feet high (into the sun) and the other got maybe 4 feet high (also into the sun), but that’s where they stopped. No vigorous growth and no blooms. But, at least they are still alive as of last fall. I will fertilize them better this year, and maybe that will help.

      Jacqui Komschlies
      , Wisconsin
      , United States
      , 40 weeks ago
    • I bought this plant 3 years ago and was excited to try this one out. The first year was a growing year so didn’t expect much. Last summer it grew to about 6 ft and had some flowers but not a lot but I enjoyed it. This year is the same amount of flowers but it grew tall to about 12 ft and all of the flowers are at the top and can’t enjoy any of the blooms down low where my 5ft 3 self can enjoy them.

      Tina
      , Nebraska
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • I bought this last year and it did as expected, not much. This year it's shooting up like crazy. I can't wait to see blooms! The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars from me is because the vines are pretty tender and break easily if you aren't very careful.

      Leesa J
      , Ohio
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • I bought this in the quart container and planted at the foot of my arbor. Well draining soil. Fertilized and professionally cared for. died back in winter and came back -- but no blooms and is growing out as a bush v a vine. I am quite disappointed.

      Rebecca Spence
      , North Carolina
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • Disappointed. Bought a gallon size with many blooms, tons of new green growth, 3' high. Put it in the ground, it didn't add any additional blooms. the next year it did nothing the next year it grew to 12 feet high with very few blooms. Year 4, it's back to stunted two feet high and spindly. My jackmanii clematis doing well just not this variety. I even give it pw soluble fertilizer. zone 7B. Pulling it out, waste of water. Darn.

      Karen
      , 3 years ago
    • I too was at first skeptical with the two I bought after one season but now in season two they are shooting up so many strong new tendrils and it's still April! I'm confidant this clematis will perform as advertised! I have them located on the east side of a brick garage.

      Linda Perry
      , 3 years ago
    • I bought two of these vines 4 years ago. The first couple of years I got a few tendrils growing up the trellis, but no flowers. The third year, one died, one barely came back. This year, they are both gone. I have other clematis in the garden that do well. I'm very disappointed in these. I expected to have 2 well established vines by now.

      Terri Molle
      , Canada
      , 4 years ago
    • Of all the varieties of clematis I've grown, this is my favorite. This plant produces hundreds of blooms! Stunning!

      linda miller
      , Michigan
      , United States
      , 5 years ago
    • Rather disappointed in it really. I bought a teeny tiny, quart-sized one last year from Home Depot. It grew really well, planted in a container with a trellis, covering the trellis. It even put out quite a few blooms. Unfortunately, it didn't survive our winter. That was my fault. This year, I bought two in the largest containers available, from Proven Winners and planted them into the ground against a wrought iron fence. They are growing, but rather slowly, and the branches seem to snap off easily in the slightest breeze. Once that growing tip is gone, that particular shoot just seems to stop. Each of them have about 3 shoots that have reached the top of this short little fence, but that's about it. These don't seem to want to twine around the fence either, like the one from last year did. I'm constantly trying to train them. I know, I know, first they sleep, then they creep, then they leap. That's why I paid all that extra money for the biggest plants available, hoping to skip one of those steps. I'm hoping I'm in the creep phase this season and it impresses me next year, but as of now, they are just sort of "meh".

      Jay
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 5 years ago
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