Clematis 'Frances Rivis'

Clematis alpina 'Frances Rivis' traces back to seed collected in Nepal or Tibet by Mrs Frances Rivis and raised by the English plantsman Sir Cedric Morris in Suffolk; in 1966 it received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit and was renamed from 'Blue Giant' to 'Frances Rivis' in 1968 in honour of its discoverer. The nodding, bell-shaped flowers show four vivid blue, tapering sepals around a striking ring of creamy-white staminodes and stamens – the contrast between the blue outside and the white within makes the flower especially eye-catching.

'Frances Rivis' flowers as early as April, making it one of the earliest clematis of the year, with occasional further blooms in late summer. At around 300 cm it suits trellises, fences, pergolas and larger shrubs, and like other alpina cultivars can be trained neatly along a horizontal fence. After flowering it produces decorative, silky seed heads that adorn the garden into autumn. It thrives in any aspect, sun or partial shade, and copes with both alkaline and sandy soils as long as they stay moderately moist and well-drained.

'Frances Rivis' is reliably hardy (zone 5, -28.8 to -23.4 °C) and owes some of its enduring popularity to the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Cut your Clematis Frances Rivis back to about 100 cm in June to keep growth compact and encourage next year's flowering. Once established it needs very little care and remains one of the most widely grown alpina cultivars.