Clematis 'Alionushka'

You'll fall in love with the 2 to 3 inch, rose pink, bell shaped flowers with pale yellow anthers that arrive in late spring and keep coming until late summer, when they're replaced with attractive seed pods. The blooms are pendulous, with elegantly flaring petals, showing up beautifully against the medium green foliage and bringing in hummingbirds all summer long.

'Alionushka' was bred in the Ukraine, so it's very hardy, and received a BCS Certificate of Merit in 1998. It tends to be ignored by deer and rabbits and is suitable for a variety of locations, even proving to be rather shade tolerant, although it does prefer full sun.

'Alionushka' is a Group III Clematis, meaning it flowers later in summer and into fall in cooler climates, and may start blooming sooner in warm climates. Its flowers form on new growth each spring, so it should be pruned back hard every spring to about two feet off the ground. Check for healthy, thick buds on sturdy canes and be sure to cut just above them. Dead or damaged branches can be removed at any time. Zones 4-8. Pruning Group III.