Clematis 'Red Star'

Clematis 'Red Star' comes from the Japanese breeder Takashi Watanabe, who raised it around 1995 from a cross of 'Asao' and 'Duchess of Edinburgh'. Its 8–10 cm flowers glow in a strong purple-red; they stand upright, look ball-shaped and open only slightly. The flowers are double to semi-double and carry red-purple stamens in the centre.

At around 150 cm – somewhat smaller in a container – 'Red Star' fits trellises, obelisks and fences just as well as a pot on a patio or balcony. It flowers from May to June. Choose a sunny to semi-shaded position with moist but well-drained soil.

'Red Star' is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C). After the first flowering, cut the plant back to about 75 cm in June; in early spring it is enough to remove dead and damaged shoots. When planting, set the clematis about 8 cm deeper than it stood in its pot – this allows it to form new shoots below ground.