Clematis 'WESTERPLATTE' old man's beard

Westerplatte is a clematis variety bred by Stefan Franczak from Poland and introduced at Plantarium 1998, a prestigious novelty fair in Boskoop, Holland, where it was awarded Gold Medal. It makes large flowers, 12-14 cm across, with 6 petals of velvety, deep pomegranate red colour and a warm red band across. The centres are decorated with creamy white stamens with purple red tip. It grows fast to 2.5-3m in height and needs a support to vine around.

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.

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 09-08-2023