Clematis x texensis Odoriba

The Clematis texensis 'Odoriba' is a rarely offered Japanese variety, fairly recent, particularly floriferous during a long summer period. It blooms in summer with a good quantity of adorable flowers, shaped like small bells that slightly tilt towards the ground to be admired. They resemble precious little botanical tulips, with a very bright pink exterior, opening into a star shape when mature to reveal a white interior widely bordered with the same bright pink. This small vine, of rapid growth, is perfect for container cultivation, to cover a trellis or a fence within two seasons. It requires a sunny position and well-drained soil that remains moist in order to flower well.

The genus Clematis belongs to the family of ranunculaceae. 'Odoriba' is a horticultural variety dating back to 1990. It is the result of cross-breeding between Clematis crispa and C. viorna, both closely related to the species C. texensis, the Texan clematis. It belongs to the clematis that flower in summer on the current year's shoots. It is a woody perennial plant at the base, with annual herbaceous climbing stems that will reach 2.50 m (8ft) in height, with a spread of 1 m².

This clematis bears texensis-type flowers, small in size, measuring 4 to 5 cm (2in) in length, from June to September. The bisexual flowers are solitary or grouped in cymes. They emerge as small pink buds, barely longer than the tip of a finger. Then they elongate and open into a bell shape, swollen at the base, with a narrow neck, flaring into 4 star-shaped segments, with a rather fleshy texture. They have 4 tepals of a solid pink colour on the outside, showing a wide white median on the inside. They open widely into a star shape when mature, with a creamy yellow stamen heart on a white background. The flowering is followed by decorative feathery fruits of a somewhat silvery grey colour. The leaves are small, rounded, leathery, tripalmate, with irregularly incised edges. This clematis clings to the support or the host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant your clematis together with your climbing roses to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. It is a genus rich in diversity, with varieties in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their ease of cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Odoriba', thanks to its relatively small size, climbs and adorns the bushes with its bell-shaped flowers without harming them, similar to Sollya heterophylla with its small azure blue flowers. It will also thrive in a pot on a balcony or next to an entrance door to welcome visitors with its long-lasting flowering.