Zone 6a - Midwest - Purchased as a 1gal from Home Depot. Planted on the Northwest corner up against the building in loamy, well drained, and well watered soil. The location is densely planted with hosta, fern, and heuchera. The majority of the plant receives morning and evening sun while other parts have full sun or full shade. The height and spread allow the vine to climb up and live in various places with varying lighting conditions. It tends to drift towards the more sunny locations. The first season was a mid-summer planting and it saw 2-3ft of vertical growth and maybe a 40% boost in the amount of shoots/vines prior to winter conditions. Trimmed back to healthy shoots at a height of 2ft in early spring of this year. The plant sits at 12-15ft of vertical growth at about 3ft wide and is in full bloom as of June 18th. Prolific bloomer. I have not been met with an overwhelming scent as of yet, but I would consider the plant to still be fairly immature at this stage. They have held on admirably during an extended heatwave. Prior to the heatwave, the vast majority of the plant’s first full-season was very mild and wet. It has been vigorous and vibrant through both weather extremes. I have yet to experience any pest or disease issues of any kind. I maintain a reasonably extensive collection of clematis and this cultivar is quickly climbing the ranks. I will update this post with any serious positive or negative changes. Thus far I would not hesitate to recommend this selection to anyone. A quick browse of others posts leads me to suspect this variety can struggle in full sun. If I have occasion to purchase another Sweet Summer Love, I will test this theory and update this post.
'Sweet Summer Love' Clematis x
- Part Sun to Sun
- Sun
- Spring
- Summer
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Details
120 - 180 Inches72 - 120 Inches72 - 120 Inches3.0m - 4.6m1.8m - 3.0m1.8m - 3.0mFeatures
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 FlowerLong BloomingVine:VineCharacteristics
Plant Type:ShrubShrub Type:DeciduousHeight Category:TallGarden Height:120 - 180 Inches 3.0m - 4.6mTrails Up To:180 Inches 4.6mSpacing:72 - 120 Inches 1.8m - 3.0mSpread:72 - 120 Inches 1.8m - 3.0mFlower Colors:PurpleFlower Shade:cranberry-violetFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Shade:cleanHabit:ClimbingContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:Part Sun to SunLight Requirement:SunThe 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:EasyBlooms On:New WoodBloom Time:Early SummerBloom Time:Mid SummerBloom Time:Late SummerHardiness Zones:4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9bWater Category:AverageSoil Fertility Requirement:Average SoilSoil PH Category:Neutral SoilUses:LandscapeUses 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 -
21 Reviews