Why are some clematis so cheap and some so expensive?

[plipplops]

You can buy clematis at the supermarket/greengrocer for about £3, but I was looking at the Crocus website earlier and all theirs are £15+.

Anyone know why? My mum always had a theory that cheap plants are good as they're ones that the nurseries can grow really easily and I'm happy to subscribe to this theory, I've just had wires put on a south facing wall so want some flowers up it and am happy to go cheap and cheerful

I always assumed it is more to do with the conditions under which they are grown. The supermarkets will buy in 1,000s of one type of plant from one supplier, so the supplier can save on overheads; the supermarket plants are usually much younger and less well established than Crocus plants; the supermarket plants may have been fed and raised for lots of top growth to look good at the expense of developing a sturdy root system, and if they were grown in polytunnels, may not have been acclimatised to cold outside weather and jay give up and die quickly.

Check the pot size. Crocus clematis may come in a 1 or 3 litre pot? The supermarkets are selling plants in pots which are a fraction of the size. Although it isn't a given, the pot size is an indication of the age and development of the plant.

Having said that, I bought 6 clematis from Aldi earlier this year and they are all doing very well.

Crocus are probably one of the most expensive suppliers.

See if there is a dedicated clematis society on line, and see if you can get information there.

Yes - here you are:

www.britishclematis.org.uk/

Many of the clematis in the supermarkets will not be named varieties, or will only be the most common variety. And yes, they will likely be less mature.

Doesn't mean they can't look lovely in your garden, but people are willing to pay a premium for more developed plants and named varieties so suppliers charge them.

I think clematis always look better scrambling through other shrubs rather than trained up a trellis/wall on their own. Except vigorous ones like C. montana that need their own space!