I bought a Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ plant at a “home improvement” store. The poor things were left in full sun without water and were very dry…most looked crisp and yellow, however one (the “lucky” (?) plant I spotted) was still green and looked to be doing much better than the rest. They were marked down to $3 so I thought I would try to give it a home in the new garden I was making. It is now 4 days after I bought the poor plant, I have watered it everyday and have kept it in partial sun/shade. It doesnt seem to be doing WORSE…however when I finally got the time to plant it today I noticed that the woody stem of the plant was split in a few spots…I know this isnt a GOOD thing…but is the plant doomed to die a slow death!?!
Note: I live in Zone 7b…it has been HOT (in the 90′s) and dry the last week. However, it is supposed to rain for the next 24 hours and then the temps are to drop back into the 70′s-80′s…will this help the plant?