Clematis 'Duchess of Albany '

Clematis texensis 'Duchess of Albany' was introduced in 1894 by the English nursery George Jackman & Son in Woking – one of six so-called Wokingensis hybrids resulting from crossing Clematis texensis with 'Star of India', of which only two survive today. The variety is named after the Duchess of Albany, wife of Prince Leopold, the youngest son of Queen Victoria. In 1897 it received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Merit, which is why it is often listed in trade under the additional name (1897). Its flowers, 7 to 8 cm across, are bell- to tulip-shaped in a bright pink with a darker central bar on each of the four to six fleshy, slightly recurved sepals, complemented by striking yellow stamens.

'Duchess of Albany' flowers reliably and abundantly through the height of summer, from July to September. Reaching up to 400 cm, this vigorous variety is ideal for trellises, climbing frames and obelisks, and equally well suited to growing through shrubs or climbing roses. As with all texensis varieties, keep the roots cool and shaded while allowing the shoots to climb into sun or partial shade – a spot at a fence or pergola with underplanting suits it well.

'Duchess of Albany' is reliably hardy (zone 7, down to about -17.7 to -12.3 °C) and belongs to pruning group 3: in March it is cut back hard to around 25 cm above the ground, as it flowers exclusively on new wood. This radical pruning keeps the plant compact and free-flowering and is straightforward with texensis varieties, which respond reliably with vigorous new growth. Its thick, fleshy stems also make the flowers a long-lasting cut flower for the vase.