Clematis Mon Cherry

Clematis Mon Cherry is a Dutch variety belonging to the patens group, distinguished by its modest stature, long summer flowering period, and the size of its flowers, sometimes reaching 10 cm (4in) in diameter. Its star-shaped corollas with wide petals appear to be woven from mauve-violet silk. Each petal is crossed by a midline of a more pink-purple tone, which fades over time, while a beautiful crown of mauve stamens with purple anthers blooms in the centre of each star. This small deciduous, rapidly growing climber is just as charming in the garden as a nice pot on the terrace or balcony.

The Clematis genus belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. 'Mon Cherry' is a cultivar born in the Netherlands and introduced to the market in 2014. It is derived, among others, from the Clematis patens, a woody clematis native to forests and scrubby slopes in Japan, Korea, and northern China, up to 1000m (3281ft) above sea level. It belongs to the group of clematis that flower from June to September on the current year's shoots. These plants need to be pruned short in early spring. It is woody at the base, climbing with short stems, which will reach 2m (7ft) high, with a spread of 1m². Every spring, many stems emerge from its base. The deciduous, medium green leaves, are composed of 3 ovate to lanceolate leaflets, 3 to 7 cm (1 to 3in) long and 1.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) wide, or are simple and ovate, measuring from 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) long. Their colour is a matte dark green. The single flowers are composed of wide, tapering petals, with a slightly wavy texture. They are 6 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) wide. The centre is occupied by a feathery pistil surrounded by numerous mauve to purple stamens. This clematis clings to its support or host plant using twining stems with petioles transformed into tendrils. This hardy variety prefers sunny exposures (with the base in the shade).

Plant clematis alongside your climbing roses or ramblers to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. It is a diverse genus with flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. The charming variety 'Mon Cherry' is relatively small and will fit in a small garden or in a pot on a balcony or next to an entrance door to welcome visitors with its beautiful flowers throughout summer.