Clematis 'MISAYO' old man's beard

Misayo is a clematis from Japan, bred by Kootaroo Ishiwata in 1967. It bears medium-sized (12-15 cm across) flowers of unique coloration: violet blue, wide brims on margins of white petals. The centres are decorated with burgundy red stamens. Another unique feature is its growing requirement – it dislikes full sun and performs much better in partial or full shade.

It belongs to Group 2 clematis: 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. We suggest pruning the plant after the spring flowering has finished by about a third or even half its size. It will re-emerge and flower again and quite reliably from August until October.

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. Misayo performs well in a container where it needs to be fed on regular basis during the growing season. That is recommended (not crucial, though) for open ground plants, too. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4) and suitable for outdoor pots (to -29°C i.e. USDA zone 5).

Last update 02-11-2017