Italian clematis: when and how to prune

Clematis viticella

Prune an Italian clematis every year in February–March, as the buds swell: cut all stems back to 20–30 cm above the ground, just above a pair of fat buds.

The Italian clematis (Clematis viticella) flowers from July to September on the stems that grow in spring. That is why you cut it back hard every year at the end of winter: it costs no flowers, quite the opposite. Without pruning, the flowers climb higher every year, above a bare, messy tangle. One simple pruning a year keeps it looking good from top to bottom. It is also hardly troubled by clematis wilt.

Updated on 11 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	February–March
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in March
Flowering	July–September
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Yes, take care with children and pets

Italian clematis: when to prune it?

Prune in February–March, when the buds start to swell and you can see clearly where they are.

If it grows through a spring-flowering shrub, you can cut out the dead stems in autumn, so the shrub doesn’t flower under a brown tangle.

Don’t prune in summer: you would cut off the flowering stems.

What else to prune in those months? February · March

Italian clematis: how to prune it?

Cut all stems back to 20–30 cm above the ground, just above a pair of fat buds.
Carefully remove the old, dead stems from the support or the shrub: don’t pull, but cut them out in pieces.
After planting, also cut back to 30 cm in the first spring: that way it branches from the bottom.
In April–May, guide the new shoots to the support or through the shrub, and tie them in loosely.
Wear gloves: all parts are poisonous, and the sap can irritate the skin.

How much to cut, and how often?

Every year everything, back to 20–30 cm above the ground.
If you want it higher in a tree or pergola, leave a few stems longer, up to 1 m. It then flowers higher, but a little less at the bottom.

What does it mean for wildlife?

February and early March come before the nesting season (from 15 March). If you are later, first check that no blackbird is starting a nest in the dead tangle.
In July–September bumblebees and bees visit the open flowers. Varieties with open, single flowers offer more than doubles.
The dead stems shelter small insects and spiders in winter. Leave them until February if they are not in the way.
Let it grow through a native shrub such as a hawthorn or guelder rose: that way the shrub flowers a second time in summer.

Common mistakes

Not pruning, so it becomes bare and messy at the bottom and only flowers at the top.
Pruning too cautiously, so it gets taller and barer every year.
Tearing old stems out of the support and breaking off the young buds with them.
Pruning in summer, so the flowering is lost.

Caution: If you do not prune, it flowers only at the top and becomes bare and untidy at the base. Italian clematis is poisonous: wear gloves and keep clippings away from children, pets and livestock.

Nearby: related pruning guides

Plant profile: Italian clematis · Pruning calendar and basic rules