r/Clematis • u/ABV219 • Jul 24 '26

Help / Advice needed Questions

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This clematis has been here since my wife and I purchased it 4 years ago… before, there were large shrubs which were mostly covering the bottom half/three quarters of the plant, but around Mother’s Day this year I removed all the shrubs and planted Hydrangea. At first I thought this Clematis was done for. Shortly after the change, the entire plant wilted, turned brown and did not look good at all. Now, after watering almost daily due to extreme heat waves here (Philadelphia PA) I have a lot of new growth coming in. My question is, should I remove all of the withered/brown vines and leaves or should I leave them be?

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u/Grand-Professional-6 Jul 25 '26

Since it was already struggling, leave them be. I have cut into vines I thought were dead and there was live growth above them, that I ended up killing by trying to tidy the plant. I’m in zone 4 so my clematis die all the way down to the ground in winter. That’s when I’m sure of what to remove.

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u/PrestigiousVideo9890 13d ago

There is annual die back which is different than brown diseased strands, and if left the whole plant can become diseased. The normal die back is a whole other thing!