Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’

Szczepan Marczyński

Since 1995 in the south of England in 'The Garden of the Rose' at Chriswell Green, near St. Albans the British Clematis Society has a Trial ground where each year a number of clematis are submitted for testing.

Three plants of each clematis under trial are planted alongside an obelisk and then assessed every week for three years. The main criteria for assessment are hardiness, healthiness and garden worthiness of particular cultivars. Clematis 'Emilia Plater' was raised by Brother Stefan Franczak, a Jesuit from Warsaw. He has raised and introduced many valuable and widely grown varieties e.g.: 'Bałtyk', 'Błękitny Anioł'('Blue Angel'), 'Dominika', 'Dorota', 'Jan Paweł II', 'Kacper', 'Kardynał Wyszyński', 'Matka Urszula Ledóchowska', 'Matka Siedliska', 'Monte Cassino', 'Polish Spirit', 'Syrena', 'Warszawska Nike' ('Warsaw Nike') and 'Westerplatte'. The cultivar 'Emilia Plater' was raised in 1967 and introduced in 1986.

Its pale blue, semi-nodding flowers, about 4" in diameter, with a central tuft of creamy anthers, consist of 4 broad wave-margined tepals that have a darker mid-blue-violet central bar and veining. 'Emilia Plater' flowers abundantly from July to the beginning of October. It is a fully hardy, vigorous climber up to 10 feet that should be hard pruned (3) in early spring. It requires plenty of sun but will grow in mediocre soil.

Clematis 'Emilia Plater' is easy to use in a variety of ways and is suitable for growing in both small gardens and public places. It can be planted over arbors or various supports, or trained into small trees and shrubs. It looks truly charming when growing among yellow-leaved or yellow-flowered plants. 'Emilia Plater' may be successfully planted with other vigorous clematis varieties, especially with the ones from the Viticella Group. Effective as ground cover.

I have been observing 'Emilia Plater' for many years in our nursery collection and I judge it to be very valuable and garden-worthy plant.

Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’ over juniper

Clematis ‘Emilia Plater’