Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ (Viticella Group)

Bred in 1885, Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ is one of the long-established favorites. This outstanding deciduous vine produces masses of small, nodding, dark violet-purple flowers, up to 4 in. wide (10 cm), with a creamy boss of stamens. Each flower bears 4 to 6 broad, velvety petals that are well-spaced. You will see very little of its fresh green foliage once the plant gets into bloom, so great is the outpouring of purple flowers!
‘Etoile Violette’ 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.

• Blooming from mid to late summer, this vigorous and extremely floriferous Clematis vine won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its noteworthy qualities.
• It thrives in moist, well-drained soils, in full sun or part shade. 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. Afternoon shade is appreciated in hot summer areas.
• Hardy to zones 4-11, it is incredibly free-flowering and can quickly grow up to 10-15 ft. long (300-450 cm).
• Excellent choice for trellis and can be trained to climb a wall, fence, or arbor, and is also well suited to containers. Combines beautifully with other climbers such as Roses. It will pair magnificently with Rose ‘Albertine‘ or Rose ‘New Dawn’.
• 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’: 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, the rich diversity of flower shapes, a 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 a ravishing colorful show in the garden year after year, 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 and a harmonious plant. Clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base and flowers well above eye level if left unpruned.