Clematis 'Mrs N Thomson' - Mrs. N Thompson Clematis

A vigorous variety with large deep violet blooms with a red bar in the center of the flower petal; an ideal climber for a trellis or screen; roots should be kept cool and uniformly moist

Height: 8 feet. Spread: 24 inches. Sun: full sun. Hardiness zone: 4b.

Ornamental features

Mrs. N. Thompson Clematis features bold violet star-shaped flowers with red stripes at the ends of the branches from late spring to early fall. It has green deciduous foliage. The compound leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape

Mrs. N. Thompson Clematis is a multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance woody vine. It is a Type 2 clematis, which means it will bloom primarily on old wood of the previous season, with a second flush later in summer. Dead and weak vines should be removed in late winter, and remaining vines should be trimmed back to the first buds that are seen to remove dead stems. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Recommended for: Accent, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

Mrs. N. Thompson Clematis will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This woody vine should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.