Clematis 'Spotlight'

Clematis 'Spotlight' was raised by the Dutch breeder J. van Zoest BV and introduced in 2018 under this trade name; before that it went by the code 'Zo08160'. Its large, pale violet flowers measure around 15 cm and carry a paler, almost white central bar on each sepal. The spring flush shows six to eight sepals, later usually six.

'Spotlight' flowers twice: first from May to June, then again from July to August. At around 200 cm it suits trellises, obelisks and other supports, and remains manageable for smaller gardens and containers. It likes sun to partial shade in cool, well-drained soil; keep the root zone shaded.

'Spotlight' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C). Cut the plant back to about 75 cm in July to encourage the second flush. Give it two to five years to reach its full vigour.