I am a massive fan of all types of clematis and have a few different ones growing in my own garden but I thought they were all the same. I thought they all had similar flowers just in different shades and some times with a bit of variation in flower patterns.
When I was walking around UCD a few weeks ago I came across this amazing and rather unual plant. You can imagine my shock when I discovered what it was once I got home and looked it up.
It too is a Clematis! I believe it is called Clematis Bill Mackenzie (Please set me straight if I am wrong). Unlike the varieties I have growing in my own garden, this is a late flowering clematis, normally flowering in late summer and into autumn. While it has very striking yellow flowers, in my eyes its best feature is what is left behind after flowering.
The fluffy seedheads that follow add great interest to the creeper ones the colour has faded and its flowers disappear. From what I have read up on this plant, it is an extremely vigorous variety, so it is important to think about where you plant it so it does not take over an area it should not.
This may just find a home along side the other clematis climbers I have in my garden if I find the right space!
My Name is David Corscadden and I have just finished my degree in horticulture from UCD. I have a keen interest in wildlife friendly gardens or as I like to call them “Wild Gardens”. I have in the last year taken a u-turn in what I thought I would do after college. I have moved more in to the literature side of horticulture and plan to do a masters in journalism next year.
Source: Beyond The Wild Garden – Clematis with a Difference – David Corscadden
