Technically, this clematis requires no pruning and in fact, if you cut into old, woody stems, they can die completely. Recommendation is to wait until new growth starts appearing, then cut out older stems by tracing them from the top back down to a healthy new lateral shoot and cutting above that. Yours shouldn't need this treatment till the year after next though, it's only done to prevent it becoming something that looks like an untidy birds nest. And if you're thinking, but mine has bare stems near the base, yes, it does - its the nature of the beast I'm afraid, tends to grow up and have its foliage and flowers at the top.

Hello, I have two clematis armandii. I wait until they finish flowering in april/may and prune back to about two feet high. After a couple of weeks they burst back into growth, This new growth is what will carry the flowers next spring.

Now that's very interesting, Alanbarwick - all the advice is what I gave up top. Have you been doing that ever since you had them?

Both lots of advice are really interesting. I find that the stems which flowered die back naturally before the new growth suddenly appears and is very vigorous.

I wait until the old flowered growth is obviously brown and crispy and cut it off!

Think I'll carry on doing that...but be much more careful where I cut!

Thanks for the advice, will leave well alone an let it make its way upward!
Bamboo - I was expecting the base to be woody, I have it planted near a hydrangea which will eventually spread out and hide the base - that's the image I'm forming in my head anyway!....lol!!!

Sadly I lost mine last year, but plan to buy another at sometime...they are by far the nicest smelling Clematis I think...and shiny evergreen leaves and white flowers, terrific early spring...good luck with yours...Its only young, my advice is leave it, let it do its own thing for a while...you'll soon see what needs taking off...