Clematis Beata

The Clematis or Clematis 'Beata' is a horticultural cultivar appreciated for its large flowers measuring 16 to 18 cm (6 to 7in) in diameter, with a very bright blue-mauve colour and streaked with vibrant pink, punctuated by a spiky heart of creamy yellow stamens! Its delicate flowering charm is enhanced by its overlapping sepals, with fringed edges revealing a lighter underside. Its abundant flowering lasts from June to September, only interrupted when the summer heat becomes too intense. This is a small climbing perennial that is well-suited for small spaces and container gardening. Perfectly hardy and easy to grow, plant it with its "head in the sun and feet in the shade" in a rich, cool, and well-drained soil.

The Clematis genus belongs to the buttercup family. This variety forms a woody climbing plant with short stems that will not exceed 3 m (10ft) in height, with a spread of 2 m (7ft). The deciduous leaves fall off in winter. They are a bright green colour and composed of 3 elliptical to lanceolate leaflets, measuring 3 to 7 cm (1 to 3in) long and 1.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) wide, with relatively prominent veins. The flowers consist of 6 broadly elliptical, undulating, overlapping tepals, ending in pointed tips. They are 16 to 18 cm (6 to 7in) wide in diameter. The flower is blue-mauve with streaks of vibrant pink, crowned with creamy yellow stamens. The colour of the flowers tends to fade when fully open, especially when the plant is grown in a very sunny location. This clematis clings to its support or the host plant using voluble stems with petioles transformed into tendrils. This variety is known for its good health and hardiness.

Plant your clematis alongside your climbing roses or vines to extend the flowering season on your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. This genus is rich in diversity, with flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. The 'Beata' variety would be perfect alongside deep red-purple flowers that will bring out its vibrant pink streaks, or against a backdrop of golden or light foliage, such as a hedge of variegated hawthorns or a 'Goldfinger' Mexican orange tree. Thanks to its relatively small size, it will easily find a place in a small garden and will thrive in a pot on a balcony or next to an entrance door, embracing a small bamboo structure to welcome visitors with its magical colors.

Polish horticultural creation by S. Franczak in 1986.