I planted a clematis on my pergola last year - it was supposed to bloom beautifully. Now in fall 2026, I've barely seen any flowers, even though the plant otherwise looks good. Could it be the wrong pruning or the location?
Clematis basically needs three things: enough water (especially the roots like it cool and moist), plenty of light, and the right pruning for your variety. The problem is there are different types out there - some bloom on old wood (you barely get to prune those), others on new wood (you can keep those shorter). If you don't know which variety you have, that's often the real issue. A practical trick: check if your clematis might be standing in the shade or if the roots are too dry - that happens a lot with pergolas especially, because the roof up top gets all the water and nothing reaches the bottom. If the plant otherwise looks healthy, I wouldn't cut anything before spring and instead watch where exactly the flowers appear (if any do), then you'll know how to handle it next year.
Not cutting too much is key - lots of people make the mistake of cutting clematis back hard and destroying the flower buds for the next season! It could also be about the location in your case: most varieties need at least four to five hours of sun a day, and the roots prefer it cool and not too dry. Since you planted it just last year, it could also simply be that it's still putting energy into root growth - some clematis take a year or two before they really get going! Check whether the pergola isn't too much in the shade, and keep the soil evenly moist in the next season.
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