Clematis 'stans'

Clematis stans is a wild species from Japan, where it is called kusabotan, and belongs to the Heracleifolia Group. It was introduced from Japan in 1860. It is not a climber but an upright, herbaceous perennial with a woody base that forms a new clump of free-standing stems every year. The 1–1.5 cm flowers are pale blue and smell of lily of the valley. They stand in whorls on side branches and look like small hyacinth tubes, and the narrow petals roll back at the tip; cream anthers add a delicate accent. The foliage of three toothed leaflets stays fresh green even during flowering.

The flowers open from July to August. At around 100 cm in height, 'stans' stands in a bed or border without any climbing support and makes a fragrant companion among other perennials. It likes a sunny, sheltered position in well-drained, evenly moist soil; it tolerates chalky, clay and sandy soils.

'stans' is very hardy (zone 5, down to about -29 °C). Cut it back to about 25 cm in March – this way it shoots vigorously and flowers abundantly. Wear gloves when cutting, as the plant can irritate the skin.