Clematis x patens Sen no Kaze

The Clematis 'Sen no Kaze', recently obtained in Japan, will delight lovers of original flowers, as well as romantic gardeners. Its name, which means 'Thousand Winds', perfectly describes its breathtaking and poetic spring flowering. This small deciduous vine, with a modest appearance, produces large green buds in spring that open into large, double flowers, brimming with petals, marbled with green and washed with pink on the outside of the corolla, which opens up in cream-white. This adorable little vine prefers cool, indirect sunlight, where its delicate and changing colour will be enhanced. With a modest stature but rapid growth, it is well-suited for container cultivation.

The genus Clematis belongs to the buttercup family. 'Sen no Kaze' is a very recent cultivar whose flower expresses, better than any other flower, the refined spirit that inhabits each of the Japanese cultivar creations. 'Sen no Kaze' comes from the Clematis patens, a woody clematis native to the forests and scrub slopes of Japan, Korea, and northern China, up to 1000m (3281ft) altitude. It belongs to the clematis group that flowers in May-June on the previous year's wood.

It is a woody, climbing perennial plant with short stems that will not exceed 1.50 m in height, with a spread of 1m². Its young shoots are red. The deciduous leaves are dark green 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, or are simple and oval, measuring from 7 to 10 cm (4in) long. The very double flowers consist of 60 elliptical and undulate tepals (indistinguishable from petals), which taper at the tip. They are 10 to 14 cm (6in) wide. The centre is occupied by smaller petals surrounding cream-coloured stamens, which are only visible very late in full bloom. The flower, initially variegated with green, old rose, and cream, becomes more cream-coloured at maturity, with all the flowers forming a bouquet with gently faded shades. This clematis clings to its support or host plant using voluble stems with petioles transformed into tendrils. This variety has good health and hardiness.

Plant your clematis alongside your climbing roses or other vines to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. This is a genus rich in diversity, with flowers in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. The surprising variety 'Sen no Kaze', thanks to its very modest size, will find its place in a small garden and will thrive perfectly in a pot on a balcony or next to an entrance, embracing a small bamboo structure to welcome visitors with its magical colours.