Clematis 'Samaritan Jo' is a compact long blooming clematis with soft lilac petals edged in white and a pale lavender stripe down the center. This free flowering cultivar thrives in containers and small garden spaces, reblooming from early summer into early fall with minimal pruning. Its manageable size and striking bicolor blooms make it perfect for trellises, obelisks, or mixed perennial borders.
Height & Spread: 4 - 5 ft x 2 - 3 ft
Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Preference: Moist, well drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Watering Needs: Regular watering during active growth; keep roots cool
Deer Resistance: Occasionally browsed but not preferred
Native Status
This clematis cultivar is of hybrid origin, derived from European and Asian Clematis species. It is not native to North America.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Bees
- Visited by bumblebees and small native bees collecting nectar from open flowers throughout the bloom period.
Butterflies
- Provides nectar to visiting butterflies including Painted Ladies, Eastern Tailed Blues, and Red Admirals.
Birds
- Birds such as cardinals and finches use the vines as nesting cover and shelter in late spring and summer.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations:
- Allow 24 - 36 in between plants to support airflow and encourage dense coverage.
Landscape Placement:
- Ideal for container planting, trellises, fences, mailbox posts, or small scale vertical garden accents.
Companion Plants
- Thymus serpyllum (Creeping Thyme) - Low growing groundcover adds fragrance and texture at the vine's base.
- Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips' - Compact mounds of violet bellflowers echo clematis tones and bloom concurrently.
- Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' - Upright violet blue spikes add vertical contrast and bloom alongside clematis.
- Heuchera 'Obsidian' - Glossy dark foliage provides a rich base and highlights pale clematis blooms.
- Geranium 'Rozanne' - Sprawling violet blooms with a long flowering period weave well beneath clematis vines.