Clematis 'Prince Charles'

Clematis 'Prince Charles' descends from a seedling selected around 1975 by New Zealand breeder Alister Keay, who named it after the British heir to the throne — who only learned of the honour afterwards, but said he was delighted. In 1986, England's Fisk's Clematis Nursery introduced the variety to Britain, where it quickly became a classic. Its pale blue flowers, 8 to 12 cm across, open with a delicate pink flush along the central bar that fades to a rich mauve-blue as they mature, showing off yellowish-green stamens on four to six lightly ruffled, initially nodding tepals.

From July to September, 'Prince Charles' produces flowers in great profusion, while staying pleasantly compact at around 250 cm — ideal for pots on the patio or balcony, as well as for obelisks, trellises, or as a companion for climbing roses, up which it scrambles gently. It dislikes full shade: for vigorous growth and little mildew, it needs a sunny to partly shaded spot with good air circulation.

Hardy to zone 5 (-28.8 to -23.4 °C), 'Prince Charles' reliably survives harsh winters. It belongs to pruning group 3: cut the stems back hard to about 50 cm in March so the plant regrows densely and flowers freely through summer. Thanks to its undemanding nature and easy care, it is considered one of the most beginner-friendly clematis varieties around and has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.