Clematis 'Freda'

Clematis montana 'Freda' was found by Mrs Freda Deacon in her garden in Woodbridge, Suffolk (England), and introduced in 1985 by the British nursery Fisk's Clematis Nursery – probably a seedling of the variety 'Pink Perfection'. Its roughly 4 to 6 cm flowers glow in a rich cherry-red, with four sepals, each showing a paler central band, surrounding a boss of creamy stamens; the young foliage first appears bronze to purple before turning green.

From May to June, 'Freda' covers itself abundantly in flowers. At a growth height of around 500 cm it grows noticeably less vigorously than many other montana varieties and is considered among enthusiasts a rather 'lady-like' member of its group – ideal for smaller gardens, trellises, pergolas or fences, though less suited to container growing. It prefers a warm, sheltered position in sun to semi-shade with free-draining soil, as it can die back in severe winters.

'Freda' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 7, down to about -17.7 °C) and received the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993. It flowers on the previous year's wood; if you want to keep its growth in check, cut the plant back to about 100 cm after flowering in June.