Clematis of the Month for July 2009
This clematis is one of the darkest available. I saw the plant for the first time during one of our Clematis Festivals and I wondered about the quantities of flowers, even on young plants.
Clematis ‘Rasputin’ is a German hybrid raised by Willem Straver in Emmerich. He made the hybrid by using several parents to achieve this colour.
This compact plant is usually not more than 2-3 metres tall. The flowers are 8-10 cm across and dark purple-violet. The 4-6 tepals are broadly elliptic, overlapping and margins wavy. The filaments are dull white with violet base and the anthers purple. The leaves are dark green with 3-5 entire leaflets.
Flowers appear from June through to September on current year’s growth. During the flowering period, this cultivar has a lot of flowers. The plant grows well on a shaded position and under these conditions produces the best colours.
The plant can be pruned very hard at the beginning of the year. Pruning keeps the plant in a good condition and allows one to see the green leaves which are formed through the season.
You can place the plant against a wall, trellis or fence but combinations with shrubs and roses are also worth trying. The colour of the flower can be used very well with garden plants that have light green leaves to provide contrast with the dark flowers. This is better than against plants with dark leaves. Therefore you can create beautiful combinations of light garden plants and Clematis ‘Rasputin’.
Combinations with white and soft yellow roses and other garden plants can be a good combination because this clematis is not a heavy grower. This healthy and rich flowering clematis is a very useful plant in the garden.
This cultivar is hardy in zones 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
On initial planting this clematis needs a free place in the garden so that the plant can grow without competition of other plants. You should use good soil and during spring and summer, enough water and nutrition. Humus during the year keeps the soil in good condition.
Ton Hannink