Clematis 'Plena'

Flowering for up to five months, this impressive double is absolutely garden worthy. The flowers emerge with a strong, apple green blush, and mature to white.

Occasionally the flowers will revert to C. sieboldii (from which this variety was a sport) but not to worry, just enjoy the change and chance of nature and for the most part the flowers will be as shown in the image. Other names include Clematis florida ‘Alba Plena’, C. florida var plena and C. florida ‘Flore Pleno’.

This deciduous, or semi evergreen, climbing Clematis in pruning group 3, they will only flower on new growth, so simply prune hard, to the first set of new buds, late winter/early spring. It will reshoot with great vigour in spring.

Clematis make a statement of beauty without being overpowering. They are easy to grow and ideal for beginners, requiring little in the way of care and offering bountiful rewards.

Generally, Clematis grow well where Roses grow well, and 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 different plants – trees and shrubs especially as they can be used for climbing in a beautiful symbiosis. They really are versatile, and what’s, more, you can 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 stems to grow up into the sunshine. You can protect the root zone with mulch and/or by using other plants to shield them from the sun.

Grow Clematis in humus rich, moist, well drained soil. They need good drainage, or the roots may 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 when they are actively growing.