Clematis: Winter dreaming of clematis...and chat, of course!, 2 by pirl

pirl wrote:
It probably just looks dead, Etelka. You can check this photo and the others on the listing for it in Plant Files:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/332939/

Just be careful if you go to cut it back. You do not want to cut into new growth so poke around a little with your fingers and then just cut the old leaves off. New leaves will soon emerge.

Feel free to divide it. Mine grows quickly from a little chunk I remove and it looks good in a short amount of time. You don't have to divide the clump you remove from the mother plant but it's easy to divide and make more. Just plant five pieces at a time (or more) so it doesn't look bare.