Clematis 'Victoria'

Clematis 'Victoria' was raised around 1867 at the English nursery Cripps and Son from a cross between Clematis lanuginosa and 'Jackmanii', making it one of the oldest large-flowered hybrids in cultivation – it was already listed among the newest varieties in the very first book ever written on clematis, published in 1872, and received the RHS First Class Certificate in 1870. The flowers open in a rosy lavender to purplish-rose shade with a reddish sheen along the central bar of each sepal, fading to a lighter mauve as they age; usually six broadly ovate, gently waved sepals surround a cluster of stamens with brownish anthers on whitish-green filaments.

'Victoria' flowers from July to September on the current season's growth and reaches a height of around 250 cm. This vigorous climber is well suited to trellises, obelisks and fences, and has long been valued as an especially adaptable partner for climbing roses – a combination Victorian garden writers repeatedly recommended. It thrives best in a sunny to semi-shaded spot with a cool, shaded root run.

Hardy to zone 5 (-28.8 to -23.4 °C), 'Victoria' reliably survives even harsh Central European winters. As it flowers only on the current year's growth, cut the plant back hard to about 50 cm in March – this encourages dense new growth and abundant flowering. In warm, humid conditions the variety can be somewhat prone to mildew; adequate spacing and an airy position help prevent this.