Clematis 'Lord Nevill'

Clematis 'Lord Nevill' is one of the old large-flowered cultivars: the English nursery Cripps & Son raised it before 1875 from a cross of Clematis patens with 'Standishii', and it was introduced in 1878. Its flowers measure 12–15 cm and show a dark violet-blue with a purple bar and fine veining on six to eight slightly wavy, overlapping sepals. They are often semi-double in the first flush, and depending on conditions the colour can shift towards reddish plum. Purple or red anthers on white filaments set a clear accent at the centre of the flower.

At around 300 cm, 'Lord Nevill' climbs trellises, obelisks and other supports, and can also be grown in a container. The first flush appears in May and June, followed by a second flush in late summer that continues into August. It does best in a sunny to semi-shaded position.

'Lord Nevill' is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C). Since the flowers form on the previous year's wood, do not prune hard in spring. Instead, cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June. The cultivar received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993 as a proven garden plant.