Clematis 'Vitiwester'

Clematis 'Vitiwester' was raised by Dutch breeder Ton Hannink from a cross between Clematis viticella and the cultivar 'Westerplatte' and introduced in 2005. Its name combines "Viti(cella)" with "Wester(platte)", a nod to the similar flower colour of the two cultivars. The 7–10 cm, flat to gently nodding flowers usually show four to six dark red sepals overlapping at the base, along with greenish-white anthers on yellow-green filaments that fade as the flower ages.

At 250 to 300 cm, 'Vitiwester' is ideally suited to trellises, lattices and obelisks, and also does well in a large container. It flowers from July to September and thrives in sunny to semi-shaded positions – keep the roots and base of the plant cool and shaded, for example with low companion plants or a layer of pebbles. Regular deadheading and trimming can reward you with several flushes of bloom in one season.

'Vitiwester' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C) and belongs to pruning group 3: cut the shoots back hard to about 25 cm in March so the plant resprouts vigorously and flowers freely. For its intense flower colour it was named "Clematis of the Month" by the International Clematis Society in October 2017, and it is also sold under the trade name BURNING LOVE.