Clematis 'Ballet Skirt'

Clematis macropetala 'Ballet Skirt' owes its name to the resemblance of its flowers to a ballet dancer's skirt: the semi-double, nodding bell-shaped flowers measure 6-8 cm, their soft pink outer sepals surrounding a dense ring of pale yellow stamens that give each bloom its characteristic fullness.

'Ballet Skirt' flowers profusely on old wood from April to May and reaches a height of around 300 cm. After the main flush, decorative silky seed heads form, adorning the garden well into summer. As an Atragene clematis, the variety thrives in almost any aspect – from full sun to partial shade – making it ideal for trellises, obelisks and fences, as well as for container planting on balconies and terraces.

'Ballet Skirt' is reliably hardy (Zone 5, down to about -28.8 °C) and survives harsh winters without special protection. For compact growth and abundant flowering the following year, cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June. The Royal Horticultural Society has honoured 'Ballet Skirt' with the Award of Garden Merit – proof of its reliability in the garden.