Clematis jackmanii Rouge Cardinal

Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal' is a French variety derived from the famous 'Ville de Lyon', which is very red, and the little-known 'Pourpre Mat', with dark purple flowers. The large flowers of 'Rouge Cardinal' are particularly dark red, with wide and undulating sepals, gradually lightening to a lovely velvety magenta red shade over time. This superb descendant of Jackman's clematis, widely planted in gardens for its astonishing ability to flower and grow almost anywhere, is a climbing plant with a bushy, dense, and compact habit. It produces an abundance of flowers from summer until late in the season, if the weather allows.

Clematis belong to the Ranunculaceae family. They are found in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia, and North and Central America. The 'Rouge Cardinal' variety, obtained in 1968, is a perfectly perennial, semi-woody, climbing herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 3m (10ft), with a minimum spread of 2m (7ft). This clematis bears large, open flowers, reaching 10 to 12cm (4 to 5in) in diameter, which appear on the current year's shoots from June until the end of summer. They bloom in successive waves. The solitary flowers are larger during the first flowering. They have 4 to 6 wide, undulating, slightly overlapping sepals. The centre of the flower is adorned with a beautiful crown of cream stamens with purple anthers. The flowering is followed by decorative silver-grey feathery fruits that persist until winter. The glabrous leaves are divided into 3 elliptical to lanceolate leaflets, dark green in colour. This clematis clings to its support or host plant using petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant your clematis alongside climbing roses ('New Dawn', 'Mme Caroline Testout', 'Zéphirine Drouhin'), to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. This is a diverse genus, with varieties available in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Rouge Cardinal' pairs well with the white flowers of Clematis 'Superba' or C. 'Miss Bateman', for example, smaller climbers that have the same stature, to climb a fence or cover a wall exposed to the morning sun.

Avoid excessive fertilisation, as it stimulates foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Do not mulch to prevent excessive moisture.