Clematis 'Kaiser' BLUSHING BRIDESMAID old man's beard

Kaiser is an award winning Japanese clematis with fascinating flowers. They are mid-sized, 10-14 cm across, in spring (early May onwards) they are fully doubly and lilac pink with beige and light green centres of unrolled sepals. From mid August you can expect the second flush of flowers, this time rich purple pink, semi-double, or single with a profusion of narrow, almost linear, dwarf sepals of the same colour in the centre. This blooming takes considerably longer and may last until late October if the autumn is fine. Kaiser is a short climber and quite compact, producing flowers from almost the ground level which makes it ideal for cultivation in pots. Registered under Plants Breeders Rights as BLUSHING BRIDESMAID.

It belongs to Group 2 clematis. Its flowers appear first in late spring and early summer on last year’s sideshoots, and in mid- and late summer at the tips of the current year's shoots. In early spring remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins, trimming all remaining stems to where strong buds are visible. These buds provide a framework of second-year shoots that flower in late spring and early summer. The flowers may then be removed. Young shoots bear more flowers later in the summer. If a plant is too big it can be trimmed to about one meter in early spring which is a recommended action for all plants after the spring flowering has finished.

Clematis likes deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil that remains cool. You can grow a plant below clematis that will provide shade for its roots. Add garden compost in late winter and mulch it well. Fertilize pot plants on regular basis during the growing season. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4) and suitable for outdoor pots.

Last update 01-11-2017