Clematis H. F. Young

Clematis 'H.F. Young' is a variety of English origin. It bears very large flowers of an intense blue colour that is rare in plants. It is a climbing perennial that has long, slender voluble stems that wrap and climb on their own. Its light foliage is deciduous and composed of ovate, pointed leaflets forming graceful bright green curtains. This variety blooms abundantly from top to bottom from May to September in azure star-shaped flowers measuring 16 to 20cm (6 to 8in), crowned with a bright cream heart. It rests only during the hottest summer heat. This quality and its compact size make it ideal for small gardens and for pot cultivation. This climber grows in moist, rich, and well-drained soil. It tolerates partial shade, but a brighter exposure will promote generous and prolonged flowering.

The genus Clematis belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. Clematis 'H.F. Young' is a horticultural variety obtained in 1954 by Walter Pennell in the United Kingdom.

It is a woody, climbing perennial plant with short stems, reaching 3m (10ft) in height with a spread of 1.5m (5ft). The deciduous leaves fall in winter. They are a bright green, composed of 3 ovate to lanceolate leaflets measuring 3 to 7cm (1 to 3in) long and 1.5 to 5cm (1 to 2in) wide, with relatively prominent veins. The simple, round-shaped flowers are composed of 8 oval to rounded, overlapping and pointed tepals. They are wide, measuring 16 to 20cm (6 to 8in) in diameter. The flowers are of an intense blue colour. The stamens are white with cream-yellow anthers. The colour of the flowers tends to fade at full bloom, especially when the plant is grown in a very sunny exposure. This clematis clings to its support or host plant through voluble stems equipped with petioles transformed into tendrils. The flowers are followed by round and feathery decorative silver fruits that last until winter.

Plant your clematis in the company of climbing roses to extend the flowering period until the end of summer. It is a genus rich in diversity, with varieties available in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. To protect it from extreme heat and drying out at its base, plant your clematis in the shade of a ground-cover perennial or a bush. Thanks to its medium to small size, 'H.F. Young' will easily find its place in a small garden and will thrive in a pot on a patio or next to a doorway, embracing a small bamboo structure to welcome visitors with its magical colours. These blue flowers go perfectly with shrubs and perennials with golden or silver tones or light variegated foliage. Consider Mexican orange trees, chartreuse flowers of lady's mantle, or golden hops. When planted in front of its base, these plants shelter the roots of the clematis from heat and drought and provide a natural support for climbing.