If
there is one herbaceous clematis to grow in your
garden then I suggest it is this one. This is
a stunning late flowering cultivar raised in
the middle of the 19th century from the crossing
C. integrifolia and C. lanuginosa (although
this last species has sometimes been quoted as
'Jackmanii').
The flowers are made up of 4-6 sepals measuring approximately
13 or 14 cm across (although they can be smaller).
The violet-blue sepals can be a somewhat mix of shapes,
somewhere between rhombic, obovate and elliptic on
6 sepalled flowers, while they can also be slightly
lanceolate on 4 sepalled flowers! They
display heavy ribbing down the middle and also
display a slight twist from about the midpoint
onwards as the sepal matures. Some sepals can also
display a small purple central bar but this is
by no means the normal. The pointed tip will recurve
as the flower ages and the colour will also get
paler. The underside is a similar but more dusky
colour compared to the topside.
The stamens are made up pale yellow slightly hairy
filaments with violet-blue flushing at the base,
the anthers are a creamy yellow. The slightly hairy
erect bud is ovoid narrowing towards the tip where
it turns silvery white as the hairs are more concentrated. A
semi vigorous plant that has sometimes been quoted
as semi climbing but mine makes no attempt to hold
on and I can only assume this is quoted because
it can be quite erect. It produces its first flowers
in June from new growth and continues on until
late September or early October. It can surprisingly
grow to a grand height of around 8' (240 cm) although
it will need help as once it reaches about 4' it
will flop over especially if it is windy.
A hardy plant (zone 4) it can get into growth early
and when it comes to early March when it should be
hard pruned (group 3) it can be quite a heart wrenching
task to prune off the 2+ feet of growth that has
already appeared (but do it you must and it will
come back at you with even more shoots). A plant
for any aspect although best in sun or semi shade
where it can be grown up between medium sized shrubs.
Its popularity is justified and can therefore usually
be found for sale at most good garden centres.
Flower
Colour
-
Sepals
of this herbaceous cultivar are an intense
violet-blue dulling with age.
If
there is one herbaceous clematis to grow in your
garden then I suggest it is this one. This is
a stunning late flowering cultivar raised in
the middle of the 19th century from the crossing
C. integrifolia and C. lanuginosa (although
this last species has sometimes been quoted as
'Jackmanii'). 
They
display heavy ribbing down the middle and also
display a slight twist from about the midpoint
onwards as the sepal matures. Some sepals can also
display a small purple central bar but this is
by no means the normal. The pointed tip will recurve
as the flower ages and the colour will also get
paler. The underside is a similar but more dusky
colour compared to the topside.
A
semi vigorous plant that has sometimes been quoted
as semi climbing but mine makes no attempt to hold
on and I can only assume this is quoted because
it can be quite erect. It produces its first flowers
in June from new growth and continues on until
late September or early October. It can surprisingly
grow to a grand height of around 8' (240 cm) although
it will need help as once it reaches about 4' it
will flop over especially if it is windy. 