I want to grow clematis against the side of my garage that faces north. It gets brief sunshine in the morning and about an hour in the early evening.
Can you recommend one?
Thank you
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Most clematis do best in situations where the roots of the plant are in shade so that they remain cool but the upper portions receive full sunshine. Some clematis will still flower well in part shade. This article by the Royal Horticultural Society lists a number of varieties of Clematis that will tolerate shade, however it is important to note that RHS hardiness zones are very different from Canadian Hardiness Zones, so if you use this list make sure to choose a plant that is hardy here. The GTA is Canadian hardiness zone 5.
A clematis that is on the above list and hardy in the GTA and not too difficult to source is Clematis x jackmanii, commonly called Jackman’s Clematis.
Clematis terniflora and Clematis virginiana are also commonly available shade-tolerant clematis
Based on the picture above you will probably want to plant several vines if you want to cover the entire garage. You may want to dig a wider bed (12 or even 18 inches) as the roots will spread out near the surface of the soil and a wider bed means they will not be in competition with the grass. Clematis also cannot climb walls on their own and will need to be trained onto a trellis, guide wires or structure of some kind.