Clematis 'Fairy Bells'

Clematis 'Fairy Bells' was bred by Polish hybridiser Szczepan Marczyński from a cross of Clematis crispa and 'Kermesina' – selected in 2003, named in 2021 and in the trade since 2022. Its numerous small, bell-shaped flowers open with gently recurved tepals, coloured violet-pink with darker veining; at 5-6 cm across, they appear singly in the leaf axils along the whole length of the stems.

From June to October, 'Fairy Bells' produces a continuous succession of new flowers, making it one of the longest-flowering Viticella varieties. The vigorous plant reaches 200 to 250 cm and climbs by twining its leaf stalks around fences, pergolas, arbours or trellises; it can equally be trained through shrubs or grown in a large container. It thrives best in sunny to lightly shaded, warm spots.

'Fairy Bells' is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23.3 °C) and belongs to pruning group 3: cut the stems back to around 25 cm in March so the plant produces strong new growth from the base and flowers freely. It is considered very healthy and undemanding, making it a good choice for beginners too.