Clematis ‘Niobe’

Clematis ‘Niobe’ is a truly exceptional cultivar, having earned the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit for its outstanding performance and breathtaking beauty. We’ve long admired its ability to produce an abundance of magnificent, large flowers, often reaching 15cm across, throughout the summer and into autumn. Each bloom is a masterpiece, starting as a deep, almost black bud before opening to a rich, velvety ruby-red, beautifully offset by a prominent boss of butter-yellow anthers. It’s simply one of the finest red clematis available, a robust and reliable climber that consistently delivers a spectacular display in the garden.

For optimal growth, we recommend planting ‘Niobe’ in a fertile, moist, and well-drained soil, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Like most clematis, it thrives with its ‘head in the sun and feet in the shade’ – meaning it prefers its foliage to bask in full sun or partial shade, while its roots are kept cool and moist. You can achieve this by planting low-growing perennials or applying a generous mulch around its base. It’s remarkably hardy (USDA Zones 4-9) and, once established, will settle in to provide years of vibrant colour.

As a Group 2 clematis, ‘Niobe’ flowers on both old and new wood, giving you two flushes of blooms. We advise a light prune in late winter or early spring to remove any dead or weak stems, cutting back to the strongest buds. After the first flush of flowers in early summer, a gentle tidying trim will often encourage a fantastic second wave of blooms later in the season. Its rich, dark red flowers make a dramatic statement against a light-coloured wall or fence, or you could let it intertwine with a climbing rose for a classic combination. It’s also perfectly suited for growing in a large container on the patio, providing vertical interest and a touch of elegance.