Clematis 'JACKMANII PURPUREA'

Clematis 'Jackmanii Purpurea' belongs to the Jackmanii Group, which traces back to the original cultivar 'Jackmanii', raised in England in 1858 by George Jackman & Son and ranking among the oldest large-flowered clematis hybrids. This Purpurea selection is a considerably more recent Dutch cultivar bred by Wim Snoeijer (crossed in 2000, selected in 2003, introduced in 2007) and is also known internationally as 'Happy Jack'. Its flowers appear in rich violet-pink, paler towards the centre with red-purple veins, with greenish filaments and cream-coloured anthers; the four tepals grow 6 to 8 cm across.

From June to September, 'Jackmanii Purpurea' produces an abundance of flowers and reaches a height of around 250 cm. This vigorous growth makes it an ideal climber for trellises, pergolas, obelisks and wall supports, as well as for generous containers on patios and balconies. It thrives in sunny to semi-shaded spots and rewards a cool, shaded root run with especially reliable growth.

With hardiness to zone 5 (-28.8 to -23.4 °C), 'Jackmanii Purpurea' reliably survives harsh winters outdoors. As pruning group 3, cut it back hard to about 25 cm above the ground in March, so that it sprouts vigorously and flowers abundantly every year. After planting, it needs one to two years to establish itself — after that it develops into a robust, low-maintenance climber.