Clematis Ernest Markham

• Variety: Ernest Markham, pruning group 3 – big flowers, hard prune, long season
• Latin name: Clematis 'Ernest Markham'
• Flower: Vivid magenta-red, velvety, 10–15cm across
• Scent: None
• Climbing method: Leaf-stalk tendril climber
• Height: To 4m
• Flowering: June–October
• Pruning group: Group 3 – cut back hard in February
• Planting depth: Plant 8–10cm below pot level
• Hardiness: Fully hardy
• RHS AGM: Yes (confirmed December 2024)
• Sold as: Grown in peat-free compost
• Plant outdoors: Year-round
• Delivered: March–November typically. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Clematis Ernest Markham – Big Flowers, Easy Pruning

Ernest Markham gives you the large, showy flowers of the classic clematis hybrids which are all in the easily pruned Group 3. Actually, Ernest Markham is borderline group 2 but we will treat it as group 3 because in our experience he performs better like that. The blooms are vivid magenta-red, velvety in texture, 10–15cm across, and produced from June right through to October on a good year. That is a longer season than most Group 2 clematis manage even with their repeat flush while the display builds through summer rather than arriving in a rush in May. It is a good enough clematis to have held an AGM for over 30 years (which makes it very good indeed).

At 4 metres it is taller than most large-flowered clematis, but not unmanageable. pergola, strong fence. Wants sun. The magenta is at its richest on a warm south or west wall but it also looks like an award winner clambering through a rose growing up a pergola upright. Ernest Markham is fully hardy so it grows anywhere in the UK, but the warmth of the sun is what makes it perform. So a shaded north wall is the wrong place (or this is the wrong plant). Try Hagley Hybrid instead — also Group 3, but much better in part shade.

The Gardener Behind the Name

Ernest Markham was head gardener to William Robinson at Gravetye Manor in Sussex — Robinson being the man who championed the wild garden and more or less ended the Victorian obsession with formal bedding. Markham raised this clematis from seed at Gravetye in 1926. He died before it was named but Rowland Jackman of the famous Woking clematis nursery did that, in his honour, and introduced it in 1938. Still one of the most widely grown clematis in Europe and the sort of memorial all nurserymen dream about.

Summer Succession on the Same Wall

The flowering period is from June to October, so the "flowering gap" is in spring. Wisteria, which is a most suitable host, is covered in flower from mid-April to the end of May when the clematis takes over. For a different Group 3 clematis alongside, Warsaw Nike in deep velvety purple — the two together on a long wall give you a warm, rich colour scheme that runs until the frosts. Something completely different: Bill MacKenzie, yellow tangutica bells and silver seedheads from August, a sharp contrast to all that heavy red. Between the wisteria, the clematis, and the yellow bells, something worth looking at from April until the first frost.

What Others Say About Us

We say our plants are good; of course we do. But it is the truth - Which? Gardening named us a Best Plant Supplier while Feefo gave us their Platinum award for the umpteenth straight year. Neither can be bought as both come from the feedback and comments of our customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I prune Ernest Markham?

Prune in February and if you are treating it as a Groop 3, cut the whole thing down to about 30cm, just above the lowest fat buds. It flowers on new wood so you are actually improving next year's display by clearing this year's spent growth.

How deep should I plant Ernest Markham?

Crown 8–10cm below the soil. Dig a wider hole than you think you need and deep enough to bury the top of the rootball properly. Backfill with the excavated soil, improved with compost. Water in well. Our planting guide will tell you everything.

Is Ernest Markham resistant to wilt?

No. Large-flowered clematis are all susceptible but plant them deep and they should recover if they get infected. Our growing guide covers wilt properly.

Does Ernest Markham need full sun?

Yes, or as close to it as you can manage. South wall, west wall, anywhere with warmth and reflected heat. If you plant this clematis in partial shade the flowers are fewer and the colour duller. For a Group 3 clematis that actually likes shade, Hagley Hybrid.

How long does Ernest Markham flower?

From June to October in a good year; it has of the longest seasons of any large-flowered clematis. Not a single burst in May like the Group 2 types — the display builds through summer with the last flowers still opening in October if autumn is kind.

What is the difference between Ernest Markham and a viticella?

There are similarities as you prune them at the same time in the same way (hard in February). However Ernest Markham has large flowers (10–15cm), is not wilt-resistant and needs full sun. Viticellas such as (Étoile Violette have much smaller flowers (5–10cm) and are both wilt-resistant and shade-tolerant.