Clematis 'Innocent Blush'

Clematis 'Innocent Blush' was bred by the Polish breeder Szczepan Marczyński and introduced in 2012. The name goes back to an American cousin of the breeder, who thought the pale pink flowers with their darker pink edges looked as if they were blushing. On last year's wood, generous semi-double flowers appear in spring, with noticeably more petals and a diameter of up to 18 cm, their outer sepals longer than the inner ones; in late summer, single flowers with six petals and a diameter of around 10 to 12 cm follow on new growth. Both flower generations show a delicate, pale pink with a deeper, warm pink tone at the edges and central bar, along with pale yellow anthers on cream-coloured filaments.

The first flush lasts from May to July, and after a short pause a second, usually somewhat lighter flowering follows from August to September - altogether, 'Innocent Blush' blooms from May to September. At around 200 cm in height, it is well suited to trellises, climbing frames and obelisks as well as container growing on balconies and terraces, provided the pot offers enough root space. The head of the plant likes a sunny to partly shaded spot, while the roots should stay cool and shaded - for example beneath low neighbouring plants or a layer of mulch.

'Innocent Blush' is reliably hardy (zone 5, down to about -28.8 to -23.4 °C) and flowers on last year's wood, which is why pruning only takes place after the first flush in June - cutting back to around 100 cm, never in spring, as this would sacrifice the first generation of flowers. This pruning method corresponds to the light pruning group 2, as is typical for the patens hybrids.