Clematis 'The President'

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Clematis 'The President' stands out as an iconic addition to any garden, weaving through the seasons with its distinctive, large, purple-blue flowers. This perennial, deciduous climbing, flowering vine showcases a lavish display of up to 7-inch cupped blooms, radiating a deep violet blue with a touch of silvery shimmer on the reverse, and complemented by striking white anthers with a pinkish-red hue. Offering a spectacle from late spring to early fall, Clematis 'The President' embarks on its flowering journey with a heavy spring flush of flowers, followed by a second wave on new wood in the late summer or autumn, ensuring your garden remains a hub of vibrant color and activity.

Highly favored for its free-flowering nature, this flowered cultivar is a magnet for pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, enveloping the garden in a buzz of life. Its growth habit is as vigorous as it is elegant, with bushy, twining, and trailing tendrils of dark green, pinnately compound leaves that maintain their allure throughout the season. Whether trained to climb trellises, arbors, posts, fences, or allowed to meander through shrubbery, Clematis 'The President' adds an unparalleled vertical dimension to gardens. Its ability to coexist and complement climbing roses makes for a breathtaking partnership, with alternating blooms from spring through fall.

Thriving in full sun to partial shade, Clematis 'The President' is adaptable to a range of soil types, including alkaline, chalk, clay, and loams, and showcases resilience against diseases and varying conditions. Its cultivation success hinges on a strategic planting location—ample sunlight for the foliage with cool, shaded roots, ideally achieved with low-growing shrubs or a generous layer of mulch for root protection. This cultivar is not only resistant to black walnut toxicity and deer but also embodies the old gardener's adage: "Feet in the shade, head in the sun."

As a Group 2 large-flowered clematis, 'The President' requires moderate pruning in late winter or early spring. This encourages rejuvenation, with a focus on maintaining the vitality of the existing buds for the seasons' flushes of flowers. Deadheading is not necessary, allowing gardeners to enjoy a maintenance-friendly addition to their outdoor spaces.

Knowing the type of clematis vine you have will help you cultivate vibrant and healthy clematis plants. Follow our expert advice that includes Clematis Planting and General Care as well as How to Prune Clematis with instructions for each type of clematis vine. Using these growing tips will ensure a stunning display in your garden season after season.