Clematis 'Bees Jubilee'

Clematis 'Bees Jubilee' was bred in 1958 by the English nursery Bees of Chester and named to mark the company's 25th anniversary. The large flowers are pink with violet stripes, each tepal carrying a deeper carmine-pink bar and framed by light brown stamens – a classic, symmetrically shaped bloom with a diameter of 12 to 15 cm, ranking among the best-known early large-flowered clematis.

'Bees Jubilee' flowers twice: the main flush appears from May to June on last year's wood, followed by a second flush from July to August on the new growth. Reaching about 300 cm in height, it is ideal for trellises, obelisks and climbing supports, and also thrives in containers. A sunny to partly shaded spot suits it best – in full, all-day sun the stripes fade a little faster, so shade at the roots and the base of the plant is an advantage.

The variety is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23.3 to -17.8 °C) and copes well even with harsher winters. After the first flush in June, cutting back to about 100 cm keeps the plant compact and encourages the second flush in late summer. 'Bees Jubilee' is one of the reliable, free-flowering historic varieties and has been honoured by the Royal Horticultural Society with the Award of Garden Merit.