Clematis 'Angel'

Clematis crispa 'Angel' was selected by Japanese breeder K. Sugimoto from the North American wild species Clematis crispa. The nodding, bell-shaped flowers reach 3 to 4 cm across and appear in a delicate pale blue: the four sepals are pitcher-shaped at the base, open into a bell towards the tip, and have wavy, slightly curled margins with fine ribs on the outside. Inside, yellow anthers on white filaments provide an attractive contrast.

'Angel' flowers from July to September on the current year's growth, followed by decorative, spiky seed heads that last into October and give the plant a second season of interest. At around 150 cm in height, it stays compact, making it a good choice for containers on patios and balconies, for small trellises, or as a companion to low shrubs in a sunny bed. A sunny position with well-drained soil suits it best.

The variety is reliably frost hardy (zone 5, down to about -28.8 to -23.4 °C) and tolerates average garden soil as long as it is not waterlogged. As 'Angel' belongs to pruning group 3, cut it back hard to about 25 cm in March – this encourages compact, bushy growth and abundant flowering in summer.