Clematis alpina 'Willy' 3ltr

An early-flowering alpine clematis, 'Willy' produces an abundance of dainty, nodding, bell-shaped flowers in pale pink, each dark-flushed at the base of the outer sepals with contrasting cream staminodes within. Flowering in April, it's one of the first clematis to bring colour to the garden each year, followed by attractive silky seedheads that extend the display well beyond the main flowering period.

Part of the Atragene group, 'Willy' is a compact, deciduous climber reaching around 1.5-2.5m, with a twining, multi-stemmed habit that suits fences, trellises and obelisks. Extremely hardy (H6), it's well suited to cold and exposed positions as well as more sheltered spots.

Plant in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, with the crown 5-8cm deep to encourage new shoots from below ground level. Keep the roots cool and shaded with underplanting or a layer of pebbles at the base - the classic "head in the sun, feet in the shade" approach for healthy clematis. Falls into Pruning Group 1, so needs little regular pruning; simply trim back dead or damaged shoots after flowering if needed. As with all clematis, the foliage and stems are a skin irritant and can be harmful if eaten, so it's best sited away from grazing pets and gloves are recommended when handling.

Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch to ensure strong, healthy growth from the start.