Clematis 'Toki'

Clematis 'Toki' was introduced in 1989 by Japanese breeder Kozo Sugimoto and takes its name from the city of Toki, where the Sugimoto family ran their nursery, not far from a wild population of the species. Its large flowers, around 15 cm across, open creamy white and turn a radiant pure white with age, showing eight sepals and bright yellow stamens.

The flowering period runs from May to June. At around 300 cm, 'Toki' is well suited to trellises, supports and spacious containers, and grows just as readily in smaller gardens. Against a dark background the radiant white flowers stand out beautifully, and 'Toki' also makes a fine cut flower.

'Toki' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C) and rewards pruning back to about 100 cm in June with vigorous new growth and abundant flowers. As one of the earliest-flowering large-flowered hybrids, it ranks among the most reliable varieties in its group.