Clematis - 'Sunset'

About 'Sunset' Clematis:

'Sunset' provides a fantastic shock of colour to the summer garden. The single flowers are huge, 15cm in diameter, and are a rich plum-pink streaked with deep crimson bars resembling an intense sunset. The central anthers are a pale creamy gold and are shown off beautifully against the shocking pink backdrop.

This wonderful display appears early summer and will return for another flush in the late summer.

If 'Sunset' isn't quite what you're looking for you can browse our full range of Clematis plants here.

Great for your garden:

'Sunset' is a nice compact variety meaning it is especially good in containers, making it suitable for even the smallest of gardens... or why not try training it along a balcony? It looks fantastic in the border either rambling over a host shrub or trained up an obelisk.

It's great for adding colour to a frame such as a pergola or archway and can look really special when coupled with other flowering climbers, especially roses.

It is such a good performer that the RHS have awarded it their prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

'Sunset' Clematis characteristics.

Flower colour: Bright plum-pink, deep crimson bars

Flower shape: Large, single, open star, overlapping petals

Fragrance: Mild

Repeating: Yes

Approximate flowering season: June - September

Final height and spread: 3m x 1m

Pruning Group 2

RHS Award of Garden Merit

Look out for:

As with all Clematis caterpillars, earwigs and aphids can cause problems. Remove by hand where possible, spray if infestations get really bad.

May have susceptibility to Clematis wilt. Avoid through annual mulching to achieve deep root cultivation. Cut out infected stems and destroy immediately, disinfect tools.

Slime flux can sometimes be a problem. Damaged stems can be infected by bacteria which causes a nasty smelling ooze from the affected area. Cut back to a healthy shoot, destroy infected material.

Trivia:

'Sunset' was bred by Arthur H Steffen in the USA in the 1990's. Interestingly, in the American Old West the wild white Clematis Clematis ligusticifolia was known as the pepper vine. The early travellers of the day took tips from the Spanish colonials and used the seeds and the leaves as a pepper substitute. However, as all parts of the part are generally regarded as poisonous it is probably safer to stick to the real thing!

Images supplied by Clematis on the Web.