Clematis ‘Venosa Violacea’ (Viticella Group)

Bred in 1883, award-winning Clematis ‘Venosa Violacea’ is one of the long-established favorites. This elegant deciduous vine produces a profusion of deep velvety purple flowers, 4 in. across (10 cm), with a prominent white stripe and purple stamens. Each flower bears 5-6 sepals that unfurl in a boat shape before flattening and developing their unique coloration. Their white base color is infused by the violet veins (venosa violacea), which merge into solid purple along the edges. The purple anthers with white pollen complete the dazzling combination. Blooming from midsummer to early fall, this vigorous and floriferous clematis is sturdy, adaptable, durable, and resistant to Clematis wilt. ‘Venosa Violacea’ is perfect as a groundcover, in large containers, or trained to climb a wall, trellis, fence, arbor, or other garden structure.

‘Venosa Violacea’ 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.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its noteworthy qualities.
• 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.
• Hardy to zones 5-10, this clematis can quickly grow up to 6-13 ft. long (180-390 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, the rich diversity of flower shapes, and 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 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.