International
Clematis
SocietyHappy New Year to all Clematis Lovers
A Word of Warning
To cater for changes to the administration and status of the Society, I've had to make fairly major changes to the structure of this website. For various reasons I've been unable to do all the checking I would normally want to do. The major functions should be OK, but if you fine anything that appears not to behave as you'd expect, please let me know. Thank you for your understanding. Ken Woolfenden, Webperson
Treasurer, Society Account and Membership Category Changes for 2026
As of 1st January 2026 the Society has a new Treasurer as Amy Herman, USA, takes over the reins. At the same time, the Society is moving it's main bank account and it's PayPal account to the USA. A newsletter has already been issued describing what's happening and why. You can also read about the changes to our financial arrangements at Financial Arrangements for 2026. The main Payment page on this site has been changed to use the US PayPal account. A special message for our European members. The Taunus Euro bank account will continue to be available for those of you who prefer to use it. To use it, please see Euro Payment page. PLEASE DO NOT USE the UK Bank Account or the UK PayPal account from now on. Both of them will be closed as soon as this can be arranged.
First Public Webinar in 2026
I am very pleased to announce details of the first public webinar of the International Clematis Society in 2026. Titled "A Key to the Classification of Clematis Cultivar Groups", Wim Snoeijer, renown clematarian and clematis breeder from the Netherlands, will explain his guide to determining to which group a clematis belongs. As well as being interesting to many clematis lovers, this has practical application in that it is very useful when deciding how to care for, and when and how, if at all, to prune your clematis. Wim has more than 35 years experience of breeding and growing clematis, which he has used to develop his Clematis Cultivar Group Classification Key. He will explain how to use this in the webinar. The Clematis Cultivar Group Classification Key is available as a .pdf file for download prior to the webinar, please click on Clematis Cultivar Group Classification Key. The webinar will be held on Sunday 25th January at 12 o'clock Eastern Standard Time, which is UK time 17:00 and Eurozone time 18:00. You can join the webinar by clicking on IClS Webinar 25 January 2026.
In Memoriam
Unfortunately 2025 ends on a very sad note as I have to report that the Society has lost two long-standing members.
Ilse Henning - 1943 to 2025
Ilse Henning, Germany, was born on 2nd January 1943. She was a member of the Society for many years. The membership archive I have shows her in the Society from 2001, though she may have joined before then. Ilse studied at Frankfurt University and worked for many years in the Frankfurt branch of the German National Library. She was very well read and had an amazing collection of books in her house, the house where her parents had lived - fiction, horticultural, gardening and more. She liked modern classic design and was very stylish, though in her own way. She had a direct manner and attitude, but had a way of bringing people together. She was highly respected and known for great plant knowledge. She came to several Society meetings, including Dublin, Republic of Ireland in 2006 and Switzerland in 2009. I know this because she wrote an article for each event. Both were detailed and perceptive, but with a friendly feel of someone who had enjoyed the visit. Her health started to deteriorate and she moved from her house into a retirement home in 2023, a very rational but difficult decision. She had been diagnosed with a rare bone marrow/blood disease. This got progressively worse and, so we believe, relatively recently developed into leukemia. She died on 8th December 2025. Fiona and I visited Helga Huber in 2022 and we met up with Ilse in a cafe in Frankfurt. We enjoyed excellent patisserie and good conversation. She still had an interest in horticulture and clematis. The photo to your right shows Helga, Ilse and Fiona. It was a lovely afternoon. The Society send our condolences to her family and friends. My thanks to Helga Huber for providing much of the information above.Helga Huber, Ilse Henning and Fiona Woolfenden in a Frankfurt cafe in 2022
Jan Lindmark - April 1936 to December 2025
Jan Lindmark, Sweden, was a member of the International Clematis Society from it's very beginning. He was a friend and devotee of Magnus Johnson. But possibly his greatest claim to fame was his photographic skills. He was a superb photographer and made stunning photos of clematis. He attended many Society meetings and events. The Society visited his garden on several occasions but notably in 2007. In typical "Jan Lindmark" style, he welcomed us with a speech, very eloquently given (and in perfect English) before conducting groups around his garden, immaculately presented and full of beautiful clematis, followed by "tea on the lawn". He produced several clematis cultivars himself. Clematis 'Jan Lindmark', Atragene Group, was raised by Jan, though it was named and introduced by Magnus Johnson. As the years went past he participated in fewer Society events. In 2017 his wife, Monica, had cancer and died. Some years later, Jan contracted Parkinson's disease. Then about one month ago, so I believe, Jan had a stroke. He died on 11th December 2025. Jan Lindmark was an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable clematarian and leaves us with many beautiful cultivars as a memorial to him. But his greatest legacy will be the many superb photos he took, to be seen in books and magazines for many years to come.Visit to the garden of Jan Lindmark in 2007
You can read more about this visit at Sweden 2007 - Part 3 or in Clematis International 2008 in an article by Aivars Irbe starting on page 79.
Members Seed Exchange 2025 - 26
Seed distribution should now have started. The latest Seed Exchange List has been left on this site, at Seed Exchange List 2025-26 to view. Please remember, for logistical reasons, this year members will be restricted to requesting a maximum of 10 packets of seeds.
The Society sends a huge "Thank You" to the three Seed Exchange Administrators who work hard every year to make this happen - Mike Miller (USA/Canada), Ingrid Kastell (EU-Sweden), and Guy Opie (Great Britain).
Clematis Fly
In Clematis International 2023, starting on page 65, members can read an article by Klaus Körber about the Clematis Fly. This insect lays eggs in the buds of clematis, in particular viticella type clematis (believed to be because of the time of the year when the buds form). The larvae hatch and eat their way out, disfiguring the flower as they do so. This pest has been present in Europe for over 10 years. Klaus also spoke about it at a webinar on 27th February 2023 which was recorded and is available to be viewed by Members of the Society. Fiona (our secretary and my wife) was upset when she discovered her viticellas had been attacked for the first time in 2025 in the UK. The treatment is to cut the plant down to below the level of buds and, hopefully, it will grow again and have flowers later this year. In 2026, she says she'll use a spray a couple of times when the buds start to appear, around the end of April / beginning of May. As far as we are aware this pest has not spread to USA, Japan, China, Australia or New Zealand. We welcome information from anyone if they believe that they have experienced it in these countries. Thank you.
The International Clematis Registrar, The International Clematis Register and Checklist 2002, and Supplements
The Society fully endorses the work of the International Clematis Registrar, The International Clematis Register and Checklist 2002 and the seven supplements published so far. We recommend all clematis lovers use them and adhere to standards they describe. A reminder that all supplements as well as The International Clematis Register and Checklist 2002, are available online. In line with the continued expansion of internet usage and with an eye to reducing paper usage and cost, it is suggested that you download them for free from the RHS website, just visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/plantsmanship/plant-registration/clematis-registration/clematis. The Society also strongly recommends that all Clematis breeders, both professionals and amateurs, register your Clematis cultivars with the Registrar to continue to keep the International Clematis Register up to date. If you want a copy of the form, use the link above and click on the Registration tab.
International Clematis Society on Social Media
The Society has a presence on the social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. On both of these you will find updates on what's happening in our garden in the UK as well as clematis news from other members. All you need do is click on either of the two logos below.
Recommended Clematis
The Society's Recommended Clematis list, reflects the wider usefulness of this set of clematis cultivars for all clematis growers around the world. Reviewed and revised during a previous Society meeting, it is available online and also as a downloadable version from our Recommended Clematis section, in Dutch, English, French, German and Swedish. All the clematis on the list are easy to grow, easy to look after and resistant to common pests and diseases, and whilst there are no absolute guarantees where gardening is concerned, most people should have success with all of these. Because space is not so much of a problem, the online version of the list now contains more information about each clematis featured within it, along with a simple menu bar to let you see each group and then pick the clematis you're interested in. The downloadable version (no illustrations as yet, I'm afraid) is very suitable for taking with you when you visit your local nursery or garden centre!
Journal Index of Clematis References
A reminder of a facility which I'm sure many of you will find most useful - an index of references to all the clematis mentioned in the journals of the Society, both in the text and as pictures. I am indebted to Ton Hannink for all the work he has put into producing the first issue of this index. The index currently covers the years 2005 - 2014 inclusive. Further years will be added as they are completed. Whilst it is quite a large document, some 29 pages, it is not a particularly large file to download should you wish, just under 220 Kbytes. You can find it by visiting the Previous Journals page.
RHS Clematis Catalogue Collection
The Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain holds a collection of Nursery Catalogues and have been keen to add to it. A number of years ago the Society was asked to canvas our members for any Clematis Nursery catalogues which they had and would donate to the collection, which we did. Quite a few have been donated so far. Whilst he was the International Clematis Registrar, Duncan Donald extracted a list of catalogues from Clematis Specialists which are currently within the collection and a list of catalogues which feature clematis, but under such headings as "climbing plants" or "climbers". You can find them at RHS Clematis Catalogue Collection and RHS Climbers and Climbing Plant Catalogue Collection. Links to both these files can also be found via the "Information, Answers and Questions" link on the left of this page. The Society has asked where further donated catalogues should be sent. As soon as we have this information it will be publish here.
Nursery Membership
The Society offers a further category of membership - Nursery Membership. So far we have been very pleased with the support that many nurseries have given by renewing as Nursery Members. We thank them all. These Nursery Members can be found on a special Nursery Members page on this website. The Society hopes you will recognize that, as members of this Society, these Nursery Members have a particular interest, knowledge and love of clematis and can be expected to provide a range and quality of plants, and informed knowledge, not usually available in non-specialist outlets. Please check this page regularly for additions. Whilst it is now too late for your nursery details to be included in Clematis International 2011, any further Nursery Memberships will be published on this website as they are received and also in the List of Members when it is reissued at the beginning of next year.
Trialing New Clematis
An example of a Clematis Trial contract, mentioned in the article in Clematis International 2008 about trialing new clematis by well-known clematis breeder, Wim Snoeijer, can be downloaded by visiting the A.O.B. (Any Other Business) page accessible from our Information, Answers and Questions section.
General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR
This Regulation applies to all organizations, large and small, that store personal data of EU and UK citizens electronically. A draft Privacy Policy was drawn up and discussed at a previous Council Meeting. We are still working on modifications and amendments. Once completed and the resulting document is agreed by your Council, it will be released to all members and posted in this website. The Society is committed to complying with this regulation. Should any member have any questions or concerns regarding it, please contact our designated Data Controller, Ken Woolfenden.
And finally ....
The ethos of the Internet is to be an open forum for ideas, views and opinions. Sites should encourage visitors to link to other sites, it's a two-way process. So if you've got a few moments, why not look at our Clematis Links page and follow up one or two. You may find a lot more than you were expecting!For any non-members visiting this site, have you considered joining the Society? With plans for some very interesting meetings over the next few years there couldn't be a better time. For details, visit our How to Join page.
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