Family Ranunculaceae
Garden Origin.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- Deciduous climber with lush, pointed green foliage.
- Spectacular large velvety blue flowers bloom late spring to autumn.
- Easy to grow in any soil, full sun or partial shade.
Clematis ‘The President’ blue climber dazzles with enormous 18cm wide, resplendent, velvety blue flowers opening from large hairy buds. Voluptuous petals shift to richer purple in mellow evening or morning light, appearing bluer in full sun. They open out to a star shape around burgundy and yellow stamens when fully deveoped. This hardy vine blooms abundantly from late spring into early summer.
Its vigorous twining stems, reaching 2.5m high and 1m wide. They support lush, handsomely pointed foliage, creating a perfect backdrop for its shapely flowers. Never rampant, Clematis ‘The President’ repeats its superb floral display from late summer into autumn. The healthy framework clings gracefully to trellises in cottage gardens or traditional English terraces in pots using tendrils.
Care Tips for Virgin’s Bower
- Soil and Sun: Grows in any well-drained soil; full sun for best blooms.
- Planting: Plant deeply in spring or autumn, placing the root ball 3–5cm below soil level. Place pebbles or slate around its roots to keep them cool. Mulch with compost annually. Use a deep pot for container planting.
- Watering and Feeding: Water thoroughly in its first season and regularly during hot, dry summers, especially in pots. Feed with rose or Vitax fertiliser monthly during the growing season.
- Pruning and Training: Prune lightly after first bloom in summer to promote stronger late flowering. Trim again in late winter to shape. Provide support no larger than 5cm in diameter to allow its tendrils to twine.
A classic and reliable old variety, it adapts to any garden style. It thrives alongside other climbers or as a stand-alone specimen. View its luscious blooms close up whilst reclining on patio furniture. Its long succession of flowers maintains perfection for many days in shelter from Norfolk and Suffolk’s coastal winds. Its hardiness makes it suitable for all UK gardens, and its bountiful repeat flowering makes it a must-have variety.
Planting Suggestions for Clematis ‘The President’
Add an ascending heavenly blue apparition to your garden. Give The President a pergola or arbour upright to shroud in its huge blooms. Plant Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’ and Akebia quinata to form a halo of delicate sky blue and purple above it. On the opposite side of the arbour or pergola plant Billardiera heterophylla and Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sara’ to continue the calming, cool colour scheme.
Give the complex colours of Clematis ‘The President’ a lush dark green backdrop to best appreciate its deep inky purple and rich royal blue hues. Plant Muehlenbeckia complexa, Hedera pastuchovi ‘Ann Ala’, and Fatshedera lizei ‘Variegata’ on courtyard walls for a verdant, evergreen stage setting. Add Griselinia ‘Green Horizon’, Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’, and Eriobotrya japonica around the clematis. Their evergreen dark foliage creates a larger scale, dramatic contrast with its blooms.
