Did someone say fun?
Why leave railings, arbors, and mailboxes bare when you can add a little bit of fun to them with a tough, easy-to-grow, and gorgeous plant? Funyella™ clematis (Clematis) is sure to bring a little whimsy to any structure it can climb, and being a member of the Atragene group of clematis (aka group one) means it’s the easiest type of clematis to grow. It’s also one of my personal favorites!
In mid-late spring, fragrant bell-shaped buttery yellow flowers bloom on Funyella™ clematis, but the show doesn’t end there because new flowers will continue to emerge until the weather gets quite hot in mid-summer, and when the plant’s done blooming, shimmering ball-shaped seed heads adorn the plant through frost.
This vine climbs up trellises, arbors, mailboxes, railings, and other structures with ease, reaching heights of 6-10’ tall (and 3-4’ wide). It does best in full to part sun in really any well-drained soil. It is cold hardy to USDA zone 4 and heat tolerant to USDA zone 9.
As a member of the super tough, easy-to-grow Atragene clematis, Funyella™ flowers on old wood, so it doesn’t require any pruning; in fact, it’s best left unpruned. If you do wish to shape it or remove dead wood, do so after its main bloom time in spring.
What do I plant in a small space?
If you have a smaller garden or have a little pocket of your garden that you’re looking to fill, full-sized large shrubs are probably too big to squeeze into your space. Luckily there are some great shrubs with short, compact, dwarf, or narrow habits that may just fit perfectly. Check out my “22 Shrubs for Small Spaces” blog for some inspiration on small, narrow, or even ground-cover shrubs that you can add to your small space.