Clematis 'RUUTEL' old man's beard

Ruutel, or to be exact Rüütel is an Estonian clematis introduction from 1982, bred by the Kivistik family nursery Roogoja from Harjumaa, Estonia. The name means 'knight' and I believe that the breeder rightly estimated this variety to become the knight of purple red varieties. It produces large, 12-20 cm across flowers of the deepest purple red colour with the typical velvety sheen. They come out from June or July until late August, possibly September.

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. If the plant seems reluctant to produce flowers continuously after the first flowering prune it 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. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 12-06-2019