Clematis ‘Vancouver Morning Mist’

Clematis of the Month for June 2021

described by Laura Watson

Clematis ‘Vancouver Morning Mist’ was introduced in 2009 as part of the Vancouver Series hybridized by Fred Wein Sr. of Clearview Nursery in British Columbia, Canada. A few of the other clematis in the series include C. ‘Vancouver Danielle’, C. ‘Vancouver Daybreak’, C. ‘Vancouver Fragrant Star’, C. ‘Mystic Gem’, and C. ‘Vancouver Sea Breeze’. The intent was to develop a series of varieties that would be good performers, resist disease, and come in a variety of appealing colors.

The very large blossoms of C. ‘Vancouver Morning Mist’ are a very pale pink with a darker pink bar and a narrow line of delicate pink on the ruffled margin. The pink tones are complemented by white filaments and yellow anthers. In time, or with more sun than the dappled shade mine enjoys, the flower color fades to near white. The plant reaches to 6 – 8 feet (2 – 2.5 meters) and belongs to the Early Large-Flowered Group. It has a long period of bloom and will rebloom in late summer and fall if cut back after the initial bloom period is over.

I am especially fond of the exceptionally large blooms of C. ‘Vancouver Morning Mist.’ Each spring in my garden it competes with C. ‘The First Lady’ for the largest flower. Three or four years ago, they tied at a whopping 11 inches (28 cm)! This year, probably due to the dry spring we had here in Seattle, they tied again, but only at a paltry 9 inches (23 cm).

The heavily ruffled edges of this clematis also add to its great panache. Both parents contributed to the pink coloring, the large size, and the ruffled edges. One parent, C. ‘Souvenir du Capitaine Thuilleaux,’ was hybridized by J. Thuilleaux in St. Cloud, France, in 1918 and named in memory of his son who was killed in World War I. The other parent is C. ‘Kathleen Wheeler,’ which was raised by Walter Pennell in 1952.In my own garden. C. ‘Vancouver Morning Mist’ succumbed to clematis wilt for four years running as a youngster. After the fourth time, I was fed up and intended to remove it but didn’t get around to it. Then in August it burst into flower with 8 or 10 magnificent large blooms! I thank my lucky stars that I didn’t put the shovel to it.

All in all I have found this clematis to be a reliable plant with a plethora of huge stunning blooms year after year—with the exception of an extended adolescent hiccup early on.

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[Editor’s note: C. ‘Vancouver Fragrant Star’ was featured as the Clematis of the Month for December 2019. To read Linda Beutler’s description, please click here.]

 
Laura Watson