Clematis 'Aotearoa'

Clematis 'Aotearoa' originated as a chance seedling discovered by Alister Keay in New Zealand in 1992 and registered in 1998. Its name comes from the Māori language: Aotearoa — "Land of the Long White Cloud" — is the indigenous name for New Zealand. This cultivar behaves much like a Jackmanii hybrid: it grows vigorously and flowers reliably on new growth. The 8–10 cm blooms carry six rich violet-purple sepals with gently undulating margins that curl back slightly at the tips. Greenish-yellow stamens provide a lively contrast. Particularly fascinating: under certain conditions, the later flowers shift to a striking vivid blue — a rare colour play that makes 'Aotearoa' a truly extraordinary garden character.

'Aotearoa' flowers from July to September, delivering a prolonged display and one of the longest high-summer flowerings among large-flowered clematis. Reaching approximately 300 cm, it is well suited to trellises, obelisks, fences and pergolas in small to medium-sized gardens alike. It prefers a sunny to partially shaded position; keep the roots cool and shaded with a mulch layer or low-growing companion plants at the base.

Clematis 'Aotearoa' is hardy to Zone 5 (−28.8 to −23.4 °C) and overwinters reliably in central European conditions. It belongs to pruning group 3: cut all stems back to approximately 25 cm in March. This annual hard pruning encourages vigorous new growth and ensures an abundant high-summer display.