Clematis ‘Freda’ (Montana Group)

One of the brightest pink Clematis montanas, award-winning Clematis ‘Freda’ is a lovely, small-growing, deciduous climber with abundant, cheerful, single, cherry-pink flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), from late spring to early summer. Surrounding a boss of creamy stamens, the 4 broad petals open deep cherry-pink and then fade slightly in their center, creating a ravishing bicolor effect. Bronze when young, the leaves gradually deepen to dark green and attractively set off the pink flowers. Slightly scented, ‘Freda’ is well-behaved and will not take over your garden. It is almost half the size of a typical montana and is perfect for small gardens. This fast-growing clematis will quickly cover a wall, trellis, fence, or arbor. It may be grown as a showy ground cover.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its noteworthy qualities.
• Thrives in moist, well-drained soils, in full sun or part shade. Ideally, Clematis prefer having their ‘heads in the sun and their feet in the shade’. Keep the roots cool and shaded by other plants or add a layer of pebbles or flat stones at the base. Afternoon shade is appreciated in hot climate areas.
• This clematis is resistant to clematis wilt and is ignored by pests.
• Quickly grows up to 15-20 feet long (4-6 m) and spreads 6-10 ft. (2-3 m).
• This Clematis belongs to the first group of Clematis – a group including Early-flowering clematis which flower on shoots produced in the previous summer: No regular pruning is required. Just clean them up after flowering.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

As climbers, Clematis are unsurpassed in their long flowering presence, the rich diversity of flower shapes, a wide array of colors, and tolerances in terms of exposure and climate. It is no wonder they are so popular! From tree huggers to container varieties, there is a Clematis for every garden and flowers for almost every month of the year! Members of the Ranunculaceae family, they include more than 300 species and hundreds of hybrids. They create a ravishing colorful show in the garden year after year, whether solely trained on walls, arbors, or trellises or grown in association with other climbers. They are divided into 3 groups which determine how they should be pruned. Regular pruning of Clematis is important as it promotes strong growth and flowering and a harmonious plant. If left unpruned, Clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base and flowers well above eye level.