Clematis alpina is a woody vine that uses twining leaf stalks to wind around whatever support it can find. The bell-shaped, nodding flowers bloom on old wood, and it needs little pruning beyond the removal of weak or dead stems at the beginning of the season. Like almost all clematis, it's happy in full sun or part shade with moderate watering, as long as it has good drainage and the soil around the roots is protected from the heat of the sun.