‘Piilu’ Little Duckling Clematis
Clematis ‘Piilu’ (Little Duckling)
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Flowering Vine
Height or Length at Maturity: 4-6′
Width at Maturity: 2-3′
Spacing: 2′ apart to cover a 4 to 6′ fence
Spacing: 2′ apart to cover a 4 to 6′ fence
Growth Habit / Form: Climbing, Dense, Twining, Twisted Branching
Growth Rate: Moderate
Flower Color: Soft Purple Pink with Dark Purple Red center bar
Flower Type: First blooms are Double petaled; reblooms with Single petaled
Flower Size: 3-4″
Flowering Period: Continually from Late Spring to Mid Fall!
Flowering Period: Continually from Late Spring to Mid Fall!
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun, Light Shade
Water Needs: Average
Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy, Silt
Soil Drainage: Moist but Well Drained
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0
Maintenance / Care: Low
Pruning Group: 2
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Beneficial Pollinators, Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
Note: All of our 1 gallon size Clematis vines are trellised 2 year old plants
One of if not the heaviest and longest flowering Clematis, ‘Piilu’, also commonly known as ‘Little Duckling’ begins its long bloom cycle in late spring with profusion of double flowers with soft purple petals with a wide, dark purplish-red center bar down the middle of each petal. The next wave of flowers are single petaled and keep coming continually through mid to late fall – no mid-summer break! What’s more, this Clematis produces its flowers from top to bottom of the vine. At 4 to 6 feet tall, Little Duckling is perfect for smaller gardens and containers and on 4 to 6 foot trellises, fences, obelisks and mailboxes.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Climbing 4 to 6 feet high and spreading 2 to 3 feet or more in width, the Little Duckling Clematis is ideal for growing on short fences and trellises, mailbox pots, obelisks, lamp posts and other structures. Excellent for pots, planters and other containers for situating on patios, decks and around other outdoor living spaces where the amazing flowers can be viewed from close up. A fine addition to Clematis gardens and purple theme gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart to cover fences, trellises, and walls
Growing Preferences
This Clematis is easy to grow in a moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full sun to part shade. Though it tolerates dry periods when established, it will appreciate an occasional watering in prolonged periods of dry weather. Make sure not to plant this one too deep as it tends to smother the plant. See pruning instructions just below.
Clematis Pruning Group 2
Clematis in Group 2 consist of all the early, large-flowered hybrid clematis that bloom in late spring or early summer and maybe again in late summer. Clematis in this group should be pruned lightly in late winter or early spring. Pruning consists of removing weak and crossing shoots then thinning down the plant to a structure of evenly spaced one and two year old stems. Cut each stem just above a pair of healthy buds. Plants in this group have the tendency to become bare at the base as they mature. You can under-plant with small shrubs or perennials to help conceal the bare stems. Alternatively, you can often force a flush of new growth from the base by cutting the vine back to 18 inches immediately after the flush of bloom.
An alternate method of pruning Group 2 clematis is to prune only every three or four years. In this case, the clematis should be pruned as described for Group 3 Clematis. This will produce a weak first flush of flowers in the summer after pruning.
Helpful Articles
Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Clematis vines
How To Plant A Clematis
How To Prune A Clematis
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!
My Piilu Clematis came in perfect condition. The nicest packaging I’ve ever had. The plant is so healthy. I highly recommend buying from this website. Thank you————————————-You’re welcome and thanks for the photos! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I always receive healthy plants. I have potted this vine in a container and I have already noticed some buds. I have a great interest in clematis vines for my garden this year. I cannot wait for this beautiful vine to bloom.————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Well pleased – healthy plant.—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Who would think a Washington state resident would order from so far away! These plants were beautiful, but then all their plants are lovely. I was skeptical the first order a couple of years ago but the superior packaging brought me healthy plants and returning for more plants each year. I LOVE the website and the ease of finding plants. Customer service is excellent. Essentially, I can’t say anything negative.———————————————Wow!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I bought this last summer from a different online retailer. The plant i got was very small, but that would have been ok, except we then got hit with a brutal heat wave. Due to small size, the clematis did not survive. So i decided to buy a gallon plant from Wilson Bro this spring. I was not disappointed. Big healthy plant that already started blooming 2-3 weeks after receiving it.———————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I love ordering from this company this plant was in perfect shape when I got it. I put it in the ground the day I got it looks healthy. Can’t wait for it to bloom. Thanks to Wilson Bros Gardens team for selling great plants I always order from them.————————————————You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG





















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