Clematis patens Dancing Dorien

Clematis Dancing Dorien (Zodado) is certainly one of the most beautiful white clematis with double flowers. Highly floriferous and perpetual, it bears beautiful flowers that will have a slightly different appearance depending on the season. In spring, they are fully double and globular, tinted with pale-pink, while in late summer, they will be white, semi-double, and larger. They bloom abundantly on a vigorous small vine with a modest stature, perfect for small spaces and pot cultivation.

The genus Clematis belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. Dancing Dorien is a recent horticultural variety from Van Zoest Nurseries (Netherlands), dating back to 2009. It is derived from Clematis patens, a woody clematis native to low-altitude forests in the northern Japanese islands. It belongs to the group of clematis that bloom twice. The first flowering appears in spring, on the previous year's shoots. The second flowering blooms in late summer, on the current year's shoots. It is a woody climbing perennial plant, with short stems, which will reach a height of 2m (7ft), with a spread of 1m² (3ft²). A multitude of shoots emerge from its base every spring.

In spring, this clematis bears flowers with a diameter of 6 to 7cm (2 to 3in). They are globular and fully double, but without petaloid stamen tufts in the centre. The numerous slender petals at their tips are an opalescent pink that fades to white at maturity. The almost pure white flowers produced in summer are semi-double and 10 to 12cm (4 to 5in) wide. At full bloom, the corollas display a bouquet of pale-yellow stamens. The bisexual flowers are solitary or grouped in cymes. The deciduous leaves are simple. They are bronze at budburst, then they take on a fairly dark olive-green colour. Their lamina is divided, palmate, and strongly veined, as in Clematis patens. This clematis clings to support or the host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant your clematis  alongside climbing roses or vines to extend the flowering period of walls and pergolas until the end of summer. Let Dancing Dorien climb with its blue-toned counterpart Dancing Queen, 'Little Mermaid' or 'Baby Charm', for example. They will weave through dwarf conifers, bamboo or ornamental apple trees to animate their beautiful foliage twice a year. It is a genus rich in diversity, with clematis of all colours, shapes and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. Dancing Dorien will be perfectly happy in a pot on a balcony or next to a door.