Clematis tubulosa Alan Bloom ('Alblo'PBR) (H)

RHS

Synonyms

Clematis tubulosa 'Alblo'^PBR
Clematis heracleifolia Alan Bloom

Herbaceous Perennial

A bushy, non-climbing clematis, with relatively large, mid-green leaves with prominent veins. Clusters of scented, blue-purple, tubular flowers with recurved petals are carried above the foliage on dark stems from mid-summer to early autumn, and followed by fluffy, silvery seedheads

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

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

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or 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

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
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: Heracleifolia Group consists of deciduous, woody-based sub-shrubs with erect or climbing stems, sometimes herbaceous, ternate or pinnate leaves, and narrowly bell-shaped or starry flowers on the current year's growth in summer and autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant with the crown at soil level, in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in full sun. See clematis cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by division or basal cuttings in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Clematis pruning: group three

Pests

May be susceptible to aphid, caterpillar, slug and snail damage on young growth; petals may be susceptible to earwigs

Diseases

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