Viticella Clematis 'Polish Spirit'

A stunning display of purple flowers summer through to autumn makes this a cottage gardening treat. Simple to grow, once established 'Polish Spirit' it will easily cover for a pergola, over fences or garden walls.

It holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit so you know it can be relied upon with little fuss and is a good beginners choice.

Bred by Polish Jesuit monk, Brother Stefan Franczak in the 1980’s, and was introduced internationally by Raymond Evison in the 1990’s. There is a bit of controversy as to whether it should be in the Jackmanii or Viticella group as the parentage is unknown.

Growing Viticella Clematis will have you looking like an expert green thumb without any of the hard work!

Viticella Clematis, are also known as Italian Clematis, they are easy, hardy and will establish quickly. The flowers are small, but there are LOTS of them, they literally cover the tendrils. They have good heat tolerance and so will take more sun than the larger flowering varieties of Clematis and the cut flowers will even last well in a vase.

Viticella Clematis flower spring to autumn on the current seasons growth. They are pruning Group 3, so it’s easy, when the flowers finish you simply cut it just above the ground, next season it will grow to its full, dramatic size.

Clematis grow well where Roses grow well. They are also excellent in combination. You can use similar colours for a lovely blend or create some drama with complimentary shades. In fact, Clematis intermingle well with many plants – trees and shrubs especially as they can be used for climbing in a beautiful symbiosis. They are so versatile, you can even grow them in pots.

The old adage is to plant your clematis so their 'head' is in the sun and their 'feet' are in the shade. In other words they like their root zone to be cool and protected, and the stem to grow up into a sunny position. You can protect the root zone with mulch and/or by using other plants to shield the roots from the sun.

Grow Clematis in humus rich, moist, well drained soil. They need good drainage or the roots can rot. Plant so they will receive around six hours sun a day and are shielded from the hot afternoon rays. To perform at their best they should be fertilised well, to do this you can use a Rose Fertiliser every three months or so. They get better and better as they establish, so while the first season might be a bit ho hum, prepare to be amazed in the next.

Supplied as: Pots
Size: 10 cm