Clematis ‘The President’

Clematis ‘The President’ is a much-loved, early large-flowered cultivar that has stood the test of time, proudly earning the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Its generously sized, star-shaped flowers are a deep violet-blue, offering a beautiful silvery shimmer on their undersides, perfectly complemented by prominent reddish-tipped white anthers. We find this vigorous and dependable rebloomer truly earns its place in the garden, providing a lavish floral show from late spring right through to autumn. It’s a real showstopper that brings a touch of classic elegance wherever it’s grown.

To keep ‘The President’ thriving, we recommend planting it in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Like many clematis, it prefers its ‘head in the sun and feet in the shade’, meaning the foliage enjoys plenty of sunlight while the roots are kept cool and shaded. A generous mulch or companion planting with shallow-rooted perennials or small shrubs will help achieve this. It’s wonderfully hardy and remarkably resilient, flourishing in full sun to partial shade, though some afternoon shade can help preserve the intensity of its magnificent blooms.

As a Group 2 clematis, ‘The President’ benefits from a light prune in late winter or early spring to remove any dead or weak stems and maintain its shape. Following its glorious first flush of flowers in early summer, we give it a second, lighter prune. This encourages a fantastic second wave of blooms later in the season, ensuring your garden remains vibrant. It’s perfect for training up trellises, arbours, fences, or walls, and we particularly enjoy pairing it with climbing roses, where their contrasting forms and colours create a breathtaking partnership.