Depends on the Clematis. I've split integrifolias but they grow more like perennials.

When I have moved a couple of vining clematis they fell apart into separate vines with roots so I planted them separately and they all grew into good plants. Took them awhile though as they each needed to develop a good root system, like starting with new young plants.

Bushy Blue Bell c. integrifolia was purposely divided into three plants when I moved it and the part I kept flowered great that same year, didn't miss a beat.

As a general rule, I don't recommend it but it depends on the individual plant.

First, clematis don't appreciate you messing about with their roots, so you need to handle these quite delicately. Second, there is often only one or two stems emerging from the root crown so division or splitting of the plant is problematic at best - can't exactly split a single stem :-) Well-established vines may well have multiple stems emerging from the root crown but they will also have much better developed and large root systems so digging up the plant to begin with is difficult and such treatment may or may not be accepted easily by the plant. Sometimes they will split apart naturally at this time, like mnswgal reports, but that's not a sure thing.

With the exception of a few varieties (integrifolia, recta, etc.) clematis are not herbaceous perennials but rather woody vines that can eventualy form thick 'trunks' and like with most other woody plants - shrubs, trees - dividing or splitting is not a recommended method of propagation. It can be done, but I wouldn't make a practice of it.

As gardengal says it is risky,
that said, I moved my Niobe from a spot where she was doing poorly, and evidently missed a piece. It is growing very slowly, but it IS growing and has been for a couple years.( if I had been trying to do it it wouldn't have worked!)
roseberri

Thanks for the responses. Seems like they best be left alone...

I am sure gardengal has more experience than I have had with clematis or any other plant. I have moved clematis many, many times and have never had any problem with doing so. Some may take longer to recover but all have survived and have bloomed again. I say take as large a rootball as you can and go ahead and move it. If it falls apart naturally or you see a way to tease some apart then great. My oldest clematis, Kermisina, has been moved and divided naturally many times. That is one tough plant.

I am sure that different zones means different results in how a plant grows. None of my clematis (over 30, though some are only 3 years old or younger) become thick trunks as all get cut back almost to the ground due to winter die back.

I'll tell you what I did for a friend of mine who loved my Proteus Clematis. I took one of the vines and buried a section of it at the leaf node while still connected to the mother plant, leaving an arc of vine from the mama clem to the buried node and then the rest of the vine above ground and climbing up the trellis.

I left it like that over one full growing season and severed the connecting vine to the mother plant in March the following spring. I let it grow and become established one more season and just this past week I dug it up and gave it to her as a housewarming present for her new home. This "new" plant had 7 stems coming from the root crown. It was a nice healthy specimen for her with buds formed already. She's potted it up and it is looking good.

Tracy

hi tobr24u,

It's my first time to have clematis. A GW friend gave it to me. I dug it from her yard. According to her, it was 10+ years old. She told me to dig it at about 2 ft in diameter. It was so heavy that I was only able to drag it to top. I cut it in 2 so I can get it to my van.

Today, both etiolle violette is doing well. I don't have any experience so please do don't what we did. I have read though that clematis are tough plants.