Clematis 'Huvi'

Clematis 'Huvi' was bred by Estonian hybridisers Aili and Uno Kivistik, raised in 1991 from a cross of 'Põhjanael' and 'Niobe'. Its Estonian name means "interest" - fitting for a variety whose large, 12 to 14 cm blooms draw plenty of attention. The six gently waved sepals glow in deep purple with a fine satin sheen and a delicate reddish-mauve stripe.

'Huvi' flowers from June to August and reaches a height of around 200 cm. This makes it well suited to trellises, obelisks and wall supports, as well as large containers. It thrives in sun to partial shade and tolerates almost any aspect.

With hardiness zone 6 (down to about -23 to -18 °C), 'Huvi' is reliably winter-hardy and copes with harsher winters without extra protection. After the first flowering, cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June; in early spring it is enough to remove dead and weak shoots. Like some large-flowered varieties, 'Huvi' can be susceptible to clematis wilt, a fungal disease that causes young shoots to collapse suddenly - cutting back below the affected point usually helps the plant recover quickly.