Clematis 'Floris V'

Clematis 'Floris V' was bred by Dutch nurseryman Hans Vermeulen in Boskoop and named after his son. It belongs to the Integrifolia Group and is sometimes also listed as Clematis x diversifolia 'Floris V'. Its violet, bell-shaped flowers measure 4-5 cm, nod gracefully downward and give off a pleasant fragrance.

At around 75 cm, 'Floris V' stays pleasantly compact: as a herbaceous, non-climbing clematis it grows in a clump and, at most, leans loosely on neighbouring plants. It flowers profusely from June to July, making it an excellent ground cover, a gap-filler in the perennial border, or a good choice for containers on the patio or balcony. It thrives in sunny to partially shaded spots, regardless of aspect.

'Floris V' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 5, down to about -28.8 °C). Cut the stems back to about 10 cm in March – like all cultivars in the Integrifolia Group, the plant dies back completely to the rootstock in winter and regrows vigorously in spring.