Clematis 'Queen Mother'

The clematis 'Queen Mother' was selected in 2003 by German breeder Willem Straver and introduced to the market in 2011 by the Dutch nursery J. van Zoest under the breeding name 'Zoqum'. The nodding, bell-shaped flowers open in a deep dark violet and reach a diameter of 5 cm; the slightly recurved petal tips reveal an even darker, purple-red interior, while white filaments with yellow anthers provide a delicate contrast.

From June to August, 'Queen Mother' produces an abundance of flowers and reaches a height of around 200 cm. This compact habit makes it an ideal choice for trellises, obelisks and other supports even in smaller gardens, as well as for container planting on balconies and terraces. As a typical member of the Viticella group, it pairs beautifully with roses, climbing discreetly among them, and thrives in a sunny to partially shaded spot with a cool root zone.

'Queen Mother' is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23.3 to -17.8 °C) and ranks among the easiest clematis to care for. It belongs to pruning group 3: cut the shoots back hard to about 25 cm above the ground in March so the plant stays compact and flowers abundantly in the same year. Like all Viticella varieties, it resprouts vigorously in spring and is easy to grow even for beginners.