Clematis macropetala ‘Ballerina in Blue’ Eximia - Clématite à grands pétales Eximia

The Clematis ‘Ballerina in Blue’, still widely sold under the name Clematis ‘Eximia’, flowers in early spring, well before the classic large-flowered clematis. Its double, ruffled, pendulous bell-shaped flowers are a medium violet-blue at the base, becoming paler towards the tips. Very hardy, compact and requiring no annual pruning, this climbing plant easily finds its place on a trellis, in a shrub or on a small tree. It tolerates non-scorching sun, but its flowering retains its blue hues better in partial shade.

This clematis belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and the Atragene horticultural group, which brings together woody climbers derived notably from Clematis alpina and C. macropetala. 'Ballerina in Blue' is the officially accepted name for the cultivar formerly distributed as ‘Eximia’. It was selected in Sweden around 1980 by Magnus Johnson, a great specialist in Nordic clematis, from seedlings of Clematis macropetala. The botanical species grows naturally in open woods and thickets of southern Siberia, Mongolia and northern China, under climates marked by harsh winters. The plant forms flexible stems that turn brown and become woody over the months. It has neither tendrils nor climbing roots: the petioles of its leafren twine around elements that are not too thick. It needs to be provided with a trellis, a wire mesh or the small branches of a shrub to cling to. Its vegetation reaches 2 to 2.50 m in height for 1.50 to 2 m of spread. The deciduous foliage appears early in spring and falls in autumn. It consists of medium green, narrow and dentate leaflets, forming a light cover. The flower buds, borne singly on long peduncles, open mainly in April and May, sometimes a little later in cold regions. The pendulous flowers measure 8 to 10 cm in diameter when fully open. Each has four long violet-blue sepals surrounding numerous sterile stamens transformed into narrow floral pieces. Paler and slightly recurved at their tips, these give the corolla its irregular, almost spider-like bell shape. A few flowers may reappear during the summer, but this repeat flowering remains more discreet than the spring flowering. The plant flowers on stems formed the previous year. Winter or spring pruning would therefore remove most of the buds. This clematis is among the most cold-resistant varieties and tolerates temperatures close to –20 °C in well-drained soil. It fears heavy, waterlogged soil in winter more than dry cold.

The Clematis macropetala 'Eximia' is ideal for large pots or for flowering a small bamboo structure. You can pair it with other varieties from the Atragene group, but also let it climb into the branches of the Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’ which flowers at the same time. To shade its base, you can plant the Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ which offers small blue flowers on broadly silvered foliage. A few ‘Black Barlow’ columbines will then raise their dark purple pom-poms above this groundcover. When the clematis finishes flowering, the Astrantia major ‘Shaggy’ will take over with its large greenish-white flowers. All appreciate a slightly shaded position and humus-bearing soil that does not dry out too much in spring and summer.

Advice: avoid excessive fertiliser which stimulates foliage at the expense of flowers. Do not mulch, to avoid excessive moisture which promotes dieback disease.