Clematis Red Star

The Clematis 'Red Star' is an absolutely exquisite hybrid clematis variety selected in 1995 in Japan for the beauty of its large red flowers and its ability to bloom twice in the season. The late spring flowers resemble large pompoms, while those that bloom in late summer are generally single. The colour of the flowers is very beautiful, in magenta-pink red sometimes touched with green around a bouquet of yellow stamens. Refined, of small size, it is perfect in a bush with purple foliage in a small garden or even in a large pot on the terrace.

Clematis belong to the raunculaceae family. The 'Red Star' variety is a climbing plant, which will reach about 2m (7ft) in height, with a spread of at least 90cm (35in). The plant develops new shoots in spring, from buds located on older stems. Each stem produces a flower bud that blooms in May-June. A new flowering occurs on the young stems in September. This variety bears flowers composed of lanceolate-shaped tepals, quite narrow, resembling leaves, 10 to 12cm (4 to 5in) wide. They are upright and have a bouquet of yellow stamens with purple anthers in their centre, enhancing the magenta colour of the tepals. The flowering is followed by decorative silvery grey feathery fruits that persist until winter. The deciduous leaves are divided into 3 or more leaflets, of a fairly deep green. This clematis clings on its own to the support or to the host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant your clematis alongside your climbing roses or vines to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. Place pretty perennials like geraniums, carnations, salvia nemorosa, or phlox at their base, which will provide the shade they appreciate. It is a genus rich in diversity, there are all colours, all shapes and all sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Red Star' loves to weave itself into bushes and behaves very well in a large pot. It will work wonders in a beautiful planter on the terrace, in the garden among the border plants or even on a small fence.