This climber is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average to fast
• Flowering period: May to June and September
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Large, iridescent ivory flowers, up to 12cm across, appear from mid May to June, and again at the beginning of September. The lilac-hinting blooms surround a tuft of red-tipped, lime-green stamens. Great against a dark background and can even be grown in a container.
  
  
• Garden care: Clematis like their roots to be cool and partly shaded during the hotter parts of the day. Cover the soil with stones, or a dedicated clematis root pot, or plant a nearby plant to provide some ground level shade. Remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins in early spring, cutting all remaining stems back to where strong buds are visible. Apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of of well-rotted garden compost around the base of the plant in early spring.