Clematis 'Violet Surprise'

Clematis 'Violet Surprise' was bred by Polish breeder Szczepan Marczyński and has been available since 2021. It belongs to his 'Surprise' colour series of alpine clematis (Clematis alpina & atragene) and bears 7-8 cm double, bell-shaped flowers in rich dark violet; the four wavy, pointed sepals surround numerous creamy-green stamens (staminodes) that form a bright contrast at the centre of the bloom.

The main flush appears in May, followed after a pause by scattered repeat flowers into late summer, and then decorative, silvery feathery seed heads. At around 250-300 cm, 'Violet Surprise' is well suited to fences, trellises and pergolas, up which it climbs; left unsupported, it can also be used as a flowering ground cover. It prefers a bright, not overly hot position and tolerates semi-shade, along with well-drained, moderately moist soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH.

'Violet Surprise' is very winter-hardy (zone 4, down to about -34 °C) and easy to care for. For vigorous growth and abundant flowering, cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June — even though the breeder officially places the cultivar in pruning group 1, where pruning is not strictly needed. As a plant-protected variety (PBR), 'Violet Surprise' is also robust enough to suit beginners.