Clematis 'Jan III Sobieski'

Clematis 'Jan III Sobieski' was raised by Polish breeder Szczepan Marczyński and introduced in 2021. Its name commemorates the Polish king Jan III Sobieski, who won the decisive victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The 13-18 cm flowers appear in rich purple-violet with yellow stamens at the centre, opening semi-double on last year's growth in early summer, then single on new growth after pruning.

At 150 to 200 cm, 'Jan III Sobieski' flowers from May to July and, thanks to its compact, free-flowering habit, is particularly well suited to containers near seating areas, as well as to trellises, lattices and obelisks. It prefers a bright but not overly hot position and tolerates south-, east- and west-facing aspects.

'Jan III Sobieski' is very winter-hardy (zone 4, down to about -34 °C) and reliably withstands harsh winters. Cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June after the first flowering — it will resprout and produce a second flush of single blooms.