When growing Clematis there will come a point when you will wonder if your Clematis is dead. During the winter most types of Clematis do definitely look dead, however, usually, they are just taking their winter nap.
To check if your Clematis is dead, gently hold it in your hand and use your fingernail to scratch the outer bark. Inspect the area underneath for any signs of green wood, as this indicates signs of life. Even if the stem appears dry and lifeless on the surface, there may still be a chance for the plant to survive and recover.
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Newly transplanted Clematis tend to lose some or even most of their leaves, in certain cases, even their stems might dry out and at that point, they will look definitely dead. Not all Clematis that look dead are actually dead, some of them do take their sweet time to wake up in the spring, while others struggle to adapt to their new environments. I had Clematis that was dried out and looked completely dead, through the entire summer, only to bounce back a year later.
If you are not sure if your Clematis is dead or not but don’t want to damage it, then don’t touch it, allow it a couple of months to bounce back. If you want to know what are the best pots for Clematis then check out my recent article Best Pots For Clematis ( Top 5 Best To Worst ).
Is My Clematis Dead?
Determining whether a clematis plant is dead or alive can be a bit challenging, as some signs may indicate dormancy or temporary decline. Start by checking the stems and branches of the plant for any signs of life, such as green buds or new growth. If you notice new growth, even if it’s minimal, it indicates that the plant is still alive. However, if there are no signs of life, gently scratch the surface of the stem to see if there’s any green tissue beneath the outer layer.
Green tissue suggests that the plant is still alive and may simply be experiencing a period of dormancy or temporary setback. If the stem appears brown and dry throughout, it may indicate that the plant is dead. To confirm, you can also check the root system for signs of life by carefully examining the roots for firmness and healthy color. If the roots are mushy, brown, or have a foul odor, it’s likely that the plant has died.
Check For New Growth
The first thing to check for if you think your Clematis is dead is new growth. Under certain conditions, Clematis will lose most of its leaves, only for new growth to emerge a couple of weeks later. The bigger the Clematis is, the faster this new growth will occur, although for younger and stressed out plants this new growth can take several months until it appears. If the Clematis does have some new growth then it is still alive. If the leaves of your Clematis are turning brown after it has flowered then check out my recent article Clematis Brown Leaves After Flowering ( 6 Main Reasons ).
Check The Buds
If there isn’t any visible new growth on the Clematis but there are some buds you can test them to see if the plant is dead or not. Simply press together one of the buds, if it is soft and squishy then the Clematis is alive and it is only a matter of time until the buds open. If the buds are dry and fall off, then it could mean that the plant is dead, or just that particular bud has dried out.
If your Clematis has very few buds then skip this step, as you wouldn’t want to damage the buds of an already struggling Clematis. If the leaves of your Clematis are turning purple then check out my recent article Clematis Leaves Turning Purple ( Top 3 Reasons ).
Check If The Clematis Stems Are Dry Or Flexible
If the stems of the Clematis are completely dried out then it might be dead, on the other hand, if the stems are still flexible but there are no leaves then the Clematis is still alive. If the stems are dried out, the plant might still be alive under the ground, although it won’t use the dried out stem for new growth. If the stem is flexible but has no leaves then you will have to give it some more time until some new growth appears.
Scratch The Stem
If the stem of the Clematis is rather thick, it will be definitely hard to know if it is dried out or not. In this case, you should scratch one of the stems, under the bark it should be a green layer if the plant is alive, and brown if it is dead. Just keep in mind that even if one of the stems is dead that doesn’t mean that all of them are. I would avoid the scratch test if your Clematis only has one or two stems, as you will damage them if they are still alive.
Check The Roots
If everything else fails then you can check the roots of the Clematis. Just keep in mind that digging up a stressed out Clematis might actually kill it. With that being said, dig up the Clematis, and take a look at its roots. If the roots look white and have an earthy smell then the Clematis is still alive, even if the part above the soil looks completely dead. If the roots of the Clematis look brown, black, have a rotting smell, and are also mushy then it has probably died due to root rot.
If your Clematis has root rot but is still alive then repot it as fast as possible into a new and fresh potting mix.
Clematis Looks Dead In The Summer
If your Clematis looks dead in the middle of the summer then it might be actually dead. Clematis are prone to drying out, especially if the plant didn’t have the time to get established. It takes around one year for the roots of the Clematis to get established, at this point, it will be able to get enough water from the soil without the need for watering. There are two main reasons why Clematis look dead during the summer, either it doesn’t get enough water, or it has been newly transplanted.
If your Clematis looks dead in the summer, then don’t dig it up, provide it with some shade and water, especially if you have just bought it a couple of weeks ago. Store-bought Clematis are almost never exposed to full sun, they are usually grown under grow lights or in greenhouses. As soon as you plant them in a full sun location they will start losing their leaves until they adjust to the new conditions, it is a good idea to provide them with some shade for at least a couple of weeks after you have planted them.
The Clematis Is Completly Dried Out Without Leaves
One of the telltale signs that the Clematis is dead, is that it has completely dried out, and lost all of its leaves. If the stem of any plant is dried out then this is usually bad news, however, they might still be able to bounce back. Just because the Clematis looks dead above the ground doesn’t mean that it is dead in the soil as well. Younger and newly transplanted Clematis are prone to drying out completely, although some of these will bounce back, but usually, the mature plants will be strong enough to do it.
If your Clematis is completely dried out, without any leaves and it is during the winter, then don’t worry about it, the plant will start to have new growth in the spring if its roots are still alive. If this happens during the summer, then you should give it some more water, it will take 2-3 months until some new growth appears. Under no circumstances replant the Clematis during the summer if it looks dead, if the roots are still alive then the transplant shock might kill it.
Clematis Lost All Of Its Leaves
Generally speaking, when a Clematis is dying it will start by losing its leaves, then the stem will dry out, after which the roots will also dry out. The good news is that even if the Clematis has lost all of its leaves doesn’t necessarily mean that it is dead. There are several reasons why Clematis will lose its leaves like drought, transplant shock, and even due to winter damage.
To see if your Clematis is dead or not after it has lost all of its leaves, just look for new growth. If there is some new growth happening then the plant is alive. Try to see if the stems are also dried out, if they are, check if the entire stem is dried out, not just the top part.
Clematis Looks Dead In The Winter
It is normal if your Clematis looks dead in the winter, these are perennial plants and will come back in the spring. During the winter most types of Clematis are in a dormant period, which means that they will not grow at all, and for the most part, they will look dead. If you think that your Clematis is actually dead and it is the middle of winter, then just don’t touch it, let spring come and you will know if it is truly dead or just dormant.
Just keep in mind that some Clematis tend to wake up fairly late in the spring, usually, the main reason for this is due to the lower temperatures during the spring or due to a fairly cold and wet winter.
Key Takeaways
- To know if your Clematis is dead or not, check for new growth, if there is then the plant is still alive, if there is no new growth then you can check other parts of the plant. You can also check the buds, stem, bark, and even the roots of the Clematis to see if it is dead. During the winter most Clematis will look dead, and it is normal, they will bounce back during the spring.
- Some Clematis will have longer dormancy periods than others, so do not touch them in the spring.
- If the stems and leaves are dried out but the roots look healthy then the Clematis will bounce back.