What Color Is Clematis Rebecca?

Clematis "Rebecca" Facts

• While clematis is grown primarily for its striking blooms, a trait that definitely characterizes "Rebecca," its dense foliage is also useful as a screen when planted along porches, fences and arbors. Described in "The Seattle Times" by garden writer Valerie Easton as "stunning party-dress red," the flower was developed in 2008 in the U.K. by British horticulturist Raymond Evison and is now available worldwide from nurseries and mail-order houses. Like most large-flowered hybrids, "Rebecca's" bright red flowers emerge on a plant that grows to roughly 8 feet, which places it midway between small varieties that grow to only 2-to-5 feet and the more aggressive giants, such as Clematis "Montana," that grow to 20 feet or more.

Characteristics

• Depending upon species and variety, clematis flowers grow in small clusters; as large, flat open blooms; or as bell-shaped, drooping blossoms. Large flowers, such as those of "Rebecca," grow from 5-to-7 inches in diameter against a background of dark green leaves. Their striking, slightly ruffled-edged petals overlap at the base around a frilly center of yellow anthers. The first blooms appear during the late spring and early summer, and after a short rest during the hottest weeks, reappear a second time in mid- to late summer. "Rebecca" is resistant to fading from intense heat, a problem common among other clematis varieties, as long as its roots are protected by other plants or with mulch. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Clematis Culture

• Once fully established, "Rebecca" does best in a sunny spot in moist soil enriched before planting with aged manure or compost, with the goal of creating a blend of 1 part compost or manure to 2 parts garden soil. Avoid very wet spots and areas exposed to high winds. The hole should accommodate the entire root ball without bending or breakage, the crown buried 1-to-2 inches below the soil's surface and the top of the plant cut back to 12 inches from ground level. The soil should be worked to a depth of 24 inches and an area roughly 3 feet wide. Clematis should be watered to a depth of at least 1 inch during very dry weather and should not be fed any additional fertilizer during the flowering period.

Considerations

• While clematis do best in bright sunlight, they like to keep their roots cool, which is why they are so well-suited to growing among other plants. Because they are climbers, most of their growth develops vertically, leaving little foliage to shade their lower parts. Clematis prefer growing with "their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade," advises Clemson University. This is illustrated by the fact that, in nature, wild clematis varieties grow in conjunction with other plants or under rocks that shade the soil around them. Grouping other lower-growing plants nearby or applying a thin mulch layer of crushed rock usually corrects this problem by keeping the soil around the roots cool and moist.