Clematis 'Broughton Bride'

Clematis 'Broughton Bride' was bred by the British hybridisers Vince and Sylvia Denny and introduced in 1998 – a cross between Clematis koreana and Clematis macropetala. Its medium-sized, bell-shaped, nodding flowers are white on a pink ground, with fine lilac speckles on the outside of the 7-9 cm blooms and pale stamens.

Flowering runs from April to July in two phases: the first, single flowers open in early spring, followed in June and July by surprisingly double flowers, though in smaller numbers. Reaching 300 to 400 cm, 'Broughton Bride' suits trellises, espaliers and obelisks well, but also smaller gardens and container growing in a sunny to partially shaded spot.

'Broughton Bride' is fully hardy (zone 5, -28.8 to -23.4 °C) and, thanks to its robust nature, copes well with harsher climates too. For care, cut the shoots back to around 100 cm in June; as a member of the Atragene group it flowers on the previous year's wood, so a hard prune in early spring should be avoided.