Clematis 'Constance'

Clematis alpina 'Constance' was raised by British breeder Kathleen Goodman from a seedling of 'Ruby' and introduced in 1992 — named after the actress Constance Cummings, a friend of the breeder from Hull. Belonging to the Atragene group, it bears semi-double, purplish-pink bell-shaped flowers made up of four to six narrow sepals, nodding on long, slender stalks and reaching about 7 cm across.

'Constance' is one of the earliest and most free-flowering clematis of all: from April to May it opens its blooms in great numbers, occasionally followed by a second flush in July and August. At around 200 cm, it suits trellises, fences, containers and smaller shrubs, and thrives facing any direction — north or south alike. After flowering, decorative, silky seed heads adorn the plant into autumn.

'Constance' is reliably hardy (zone 5, down to about -28.8 °C) and received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. For vigorous growth and abundant flowering, cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June. Otherwise it is remarkably undemanding: well-drained soil and a cool, shaded root run are all it needs for a reliable, year-after-year display.