Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’ (Viticella Group)

Robust and durable, Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’ is a vigorous deciduous vine with masses of pale lavender-blue, semi-nodding flowers, 4 in. across (10 cm), adorned with a darker central bar on each of their sepals. Broad and rounded, the sepals are attractively wavy along their edges and catch the light in the sun. Blooming abundantly from midsummer to fall, this charming vine enjoys a good resistance to clematis wilt. It is ideally suited to growing over arbors, covering walls, or scrambling through shrubs or trees. Lovely when growing among yellow-leaved or yellow-flowered plants. Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’ was raised by Brother Stefan Franczak, a Jesuit from Warsaw, and named after a 25-year-old heroine killed in the Polish uprising in 1830 against the Russian occupation.

‘Emilia Plater’ is a member of the small-flowered ‘summer’ Clematis called ‘Viticella’, a group including strong vines, easy to grow, amenable to training early in the season, with profuse flowering over a long period.

• This clematis was awarded the “Certificate of Merit 2002” by the British Clematis Society.
• Thrives in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Ideally, Clematis prefer having their ‘heads in the sun and their feet in the shade’. Keep the roots cool and shaded by other plants, or add a layer of pebbles or flat stones at the base.
• Hardy, this clematis can quickly grow up to 7-10 ft. long (210-300 cm).
• This clematis belongs to the third group of Clematis – a group including Clematis, which flower in late summer on growth made in that season. They should be pruned in late winter or early spring and require ‘hard pruning’: simply cut back the stems to a pair of strong buds about 1ft. (30 cm) above ground level before growth begins in early spring.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

As climbers, Clematis are unsurpassed in their long flowering presence, their rich diversity of flower shapes, their wide array of colors, and tolerances in terms of exposure and climate. It is no wonder they are so popular! From tree huggers to container varieties, there is a Clematis for every garden and flowers for almost every month of the year! Members of the Ranunculaceae family, they include more than 300 species and hundreds of hybrids. They create year after year a ravishing colorful show in the garden whether solely trained on walls, arbors or trellises, or grown in association with other climbers. They are divided into 3 groups which determine how they should be pruned. Regular pruning of Clematis is important as it promotes strong growth and flowering as well as a harmonious plant. If left unpruned, Clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base and flowers well above eye level.