Clematis [Crystal Fountain] ('Evipo038') (EL)

Synonyms

Clematis 'Crystal Fountain', Clematis 'Evipo038', Clematis 'Fairy Blue', Clematis [Fairy Blue]

Climber Wall Shrub

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A free-flowering, deciduous climber, to 1.8m in height, with mid-green ovate leaves. The stunning violet-blue flowers have a fountain-like centre of silvery-mauve petaloid stamens and are borne from late spring to early summer and again in late summer to early autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (rabbits): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Clematis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or herbaceous perennials, mostly climbing by twining leaf-stalks, and often with showy flowers. Some have attractive fluffy seedheads in autumn
Name Status: Trade
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Early Large-flowered clematis have large star-shaped flowers in early summer, often with a second flowering in late summer

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant in a moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, with the roots and base of the plant kept cool and shaded by other plants or a layer of pebbles at the base. Plant with the crown 5-8cm deep to encourage new shoots to grow from below ground level. Can be grown in containers at least 45cm (18in) deep and wide in a peat-free, loam-based potting compost. See clematis cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate from cuttings (climbers) or by layering, for home use

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
City and courtyard gardens
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning (Clematis) Group 2, light prune for early flowers. Remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins in early spring. Trim all remaining stems to strong buds

Pests

May be susceptible to aphid and caterpillar damage; petals can be eaten by earwigs

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), clematis wilt and clematis slime flux