Clematis of the month for September, 2010

Clematis 'Roguchi'

First raised around 1990, this elegant, bell-shaped clematis is a relatively new Japanese introduction. It was bred by Kazuhige Ozawa. To achieve it he crossed C. integrifolia x C. reticulata. Unlike most clematis, ‘Roguchi’ is not a climber and therefore does not attach itself by its petioles (leaf stalks), so you will need to provide it with some type of support such as an attractive obelisk. It is also the perfect candidate to grow into a shrub such as a spirea, viburnum or shrub rose.

It is a fairly prolific bloomer and will reward you for months with its rich, deep-purple, elongated, bell-shaped flowers. The flowers are 2 inches long and have four deeply ribbed tepals. It will bloom from early summer to fall in USDA Zones 4 thru 9 and from late spring to fall in USDA Zones 10 and 11. It will grow up to 6 feet (sometimes taller) in Zones 4 thru 9 and a height of 4 feet in USDA Zones 10 & 11. One nice feature is that it can be used as a cut flower if you are courageous enough to cut it. Grow this clematis in full sun and an area with good air circulation to help prevent it from getting powdery mildew. No need to prune this clematis because it dies down to the ground each winter. I suggest marking where you have planted it in your garden so you won’t forget it’s there.

Note: The correct spelling is ‘Roguchi’ not ‘Rooguchi’. It is a Japanese word and they only use one “o” although it is pronounced as though there are two as in “kangaroo”. This is no doubt why the incorrect spelling had previously been accepted.

From Our Clematis Database