Clematis alpina - Alpine Clematis

The Alpine Clematis, commonly known as the Alpine clematis, is a robust climber appreciated for its charming early flowering! This species blooms from March to April with small, open and pendant bell-shaped flowers, with elongated blue-purple tepals and a white-greenish centre that somewhat resemble a columbine flower. It quickly forms ornamental curtains with its beautifully cut, toothed, light green deciduous foliage. In autumn, silvery plumed fruits take over, remaining decorative until winter. This clematis, native to the Alps, is a robust climber that attaches itself to its support thanks to its voluble stems and tendrils. It is just as beautiful in the garden as it is in a large pot on the terrace, thriving in full sun or partial shade, in a fresh but well-drained soil.

Clematis is a genus in the Ranunculaceae family. It comprises about 30 species of herbaceous perennials with woody bases and climbing, semi-woody, evergreen or deciduous plants. They are found in both hemispheres, particularly in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia, and North and Central America.

The Clematis alpina is a species native to the Alps. This 'Frankie' variety seedling is the only variety in this category to produce very double flowers. It belongs to Group 1 (early-flowering clematis) of Clematis, which includes 3 groups. It is a woody and climbing perennial plant that will reach a height of 3m (10ft), with a spread of 1.5m (5ft). The groups are defined based on their cultivation requirements.

The Alpine clematis bears trailing flowers, 6cm (2in) in diameter, at the axils of the leaves, on the previous year's growth. They bloom from March onwards if the weather is mild. The bisexual flowers are solitary and lack petals, but have 4 long, tapering and pointed tepals. Some corollas have numerous pale yellow staminodes that are shorter than the tepals (sterile stamens resembling petals arranged in pompoms), while others have lavender-blue staminodes of variable size, giving the flower a slightly bristly appearance. The flowering is followed by decorative, silvery plumed fruits. The leaves, which are fairly light green, can be opposite or alternate, glabrous, and have a simple, tripalmate shape with irregularly incised margins. This clematis attaches itself to the support or host plant with the help of petioles that have transformed into tendrils.

It is a climber that often prefers to run on the plants around it: it makes an excellent companion for many flowering shrubs. The blue-purple bell-shaped flowers of this clematis go wonderfully well with yellow, white or pink blooms, as well as with purple foliage. You can plant it near a Kerria japonica with yellow pompons, a Van Houtte's spirea, a pink-flowering Prunus, or an ornamental apple tree, for example. It will enthusiastically weave its way through the purple foliage of a Cotinus Royal Purple, a purple hazel, or a Black Lace elderberry.

The name "clematis" comes from the Greek "klema" which means "vine branch", as its old stems have a woody and twisted appearance with corky exfoliations. About half a dozen spontaneous clematis species grow in France (not counting those cultivated in gardens). Among them are the Alpine clematis (or Alpine clematis) and the Traveller's Joy (Clematis vitalba), whose fresh leaves are highly vesicant: in fact, by simple contact, when crushed, they cause "burns" on the skin. In the past, professional beggars rubbed the wood clematis ("grass of the beggars") on their wounds to create superficial and extensive ulcers, with the aim of arousing sympathy from donors.