Clematis 'COUNTRY ROSE'

Clematis 'Country Rose' (cultivar name 'Zocoro') was selected by Dutch breeder Wim Snoeijer for the J. van Zoest bv nursery from two unnamed seedlings and introduced in 2011; the International Clematis Society registered it in 2012. Its 4–5 cm, nodding bell-shaped flowers open semi-double in soft purplish pink, tinged light green towards the base, with pink stamens — the reverse of the sepals shows a stronger pink with darker veining.

From April to May, 'Country Rose' covers trellises, espaliers and obelisks with its abundant blooms; at around 200 cm it also suits smaller gardens and thrives in a sufficiently large container. As a spring-flowering member of the Atragene group, it tolerates sunny to semi-shaded, sheltered positions and copes with almost any garden soil, from chalky to loamy.

'Country Rose' is very hardy (zone 5, down to about -28 °C) and easy to care for: cut it back to about 100 cm in June after flowering to keep growth compact — though this is not strictly necessary for this early-flowering variety, as it blooms on last year's wood. When planting, keep the root zone cool and shaded, for example with low companion plants or a layer of gravel.