Clematis 'Little Mermaid'

Clematis 'Little Mermaid' was raised in 1994 by the Japanese breeder Takashi Watanabe from a cross of 'Asao' and 'Hakuba'. Its 8–12 cm flowers show an unusual salmon-pink hue, often with a light purple central bar, set off by deep yellow anthers. The almost round flowers are mostly made up of eight tepals; the spring flowers on old wood are often semi-double and carry noticeably more.

The first flush opens in May and June, followed by a second flush from July to August. At around 200 cm, 'Little Mermaid' suits trellises, poles and obelisks and also climbs through shrubs that need no severe pruning. It thrives in containers (at least 45 cm deep and wide) and does well on north-, east- or west-facing aspects as well as in sun to partial shade – it is best to keep the roots and base cool and shaded.

'Little Mermaid' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C). Cut the plant back to about 100 cm after the first flowering in June – this encourages the second flush in summer and strong new growth.