Plant Type: Clematis

A large flowered variety. Blooms are 5-7" in diameter. Velvety, ruby red blossoms with contrasting ivory stamens; and cup-shaped flowers. Blooms from May to September. One of the best reds in the Clematis genus; holds its color well all season. This variety blooms first on new growth beginning in midsummer, and then again on new shoots in early fall. The second round will likely produce smaller flowers than the first and flowers that were double the first time may be single the second time.

Clematis can be grown in full sun or light shade, but its base and roots must be completely shaded. You may need to plant a small shrub or large perennial directly in front of its rootball to keep it cool and shaded. A thick layer of mulch will also help to keep the soil moist. Though their growth habit makes them difficult to prune, it can be done in late winter or early spring. All shoots can be cut back to the previous year's wood, just above the base of the plant. This pruning is necessary to avoid getting a bare stem with a thick tangle above it. The spring flowers will be eliminated for that year, but the late summer flowers should still be produced. Alternatively, if you don't want to cut the entire plant back all at once, pruning can be done in stages over a period of 3 years. Each year, prune back 1/3 of the stems to 6-9 inches above a couple of well-developed buds.