Clematis "Josephine" flowers

Clematis "Josephine" flowers

(Photo courtesy of Northscaping.com)

Group/Class: Early large-flowered

Description:

Spectacular large, double violet flowers with white markings and double centre, are produced on a vigorous vine, a great plant for the novice and expert gardener alike

Ornamental Features:

Josephine Clematis features showy violet star-shaped flowers with white overtones and white centers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. It has green foliage throughout the season. The compound leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Josephine Clematis is a multi-stemmed deciduous vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance vine. It is a Type 2 clematis, which means it will bloom primarily on old wood of the previous season, with a second flush later in summer; where necessary, prune it back every second or third year to just above a set of buds about 6-8 inches from the ground to allow it to rejuvenate. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds and bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Josephine Clematis is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Hedges/Screening
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Josephine Clematis will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder zones.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.