Clematis 'Fay'

Clematis 'Fay' was raised in 2003 by the breeder Willem Straver in Germany and introduced in 2007. It belongs to the Viticella Group, but it looks very much like Clematis crispa. Its nodding, bell-shaped flowers are 2-3 cm across and made up of four pale pink tepals with lighter margins and strongly curling tips; they are slightly ribbed outside and creamy-pink with pink veins inside, set off by yellow anthers on white filaments.

From June to October 'Fay' flowers exceptionally freely on the current season's growth. At around 200 cm it threads through small deciduous or coniferous shrubs, dresses a trellis or an obelisk and also thrives in a container. It looks particularly good along garden paths, where you can admire the delicate flowers up close. It prefers a sunny position facing south, east or west.

'Fay' is well winter-hardy (zone 5, down to about -28 °C). As it flowers on new wood, cut the plant back to about 25 cm in March; it then shoots strongly and flowers again into autumn.