Clematis 'Friendship'

Clematis 'Friendship' is a 2026 novelty from Polish breeder Szczepan Marczyński of the Źródło Dobrych Pnączy nursery and belongs to the Integrifolia Group. It bears unusually large violet-blue flowers 10 to 11 cm across – noticeably bigger than most other cultivars in this group.

Instead of a single long flowering period, 'Friendship' produces two flushes: from April to June and again from August to October. Growing to a compact 100 to 150 cm, the sub-shrub forms no clinging roots of its own and leans against trellises, low shrubs or supports. This makes it ideal for perennial borders, sunny to semi-shaded south-, east- or west-facing spots, and containers on balconies and patios.

'Friendship' is reliably hardy (zone 4, down to about -34 °C) and copes well even with harsh winters. As it belongs to pruning group 3 and flowers on the current season's growth, cut the plant back hard to about 10 cm in March – this encourages a compact, richly flowering new growth with both flushes each year.