Clematis Octopus ('Zooct'PBR) (A)
clematis [Octopus]
A climber up to 3m high with finely-toothed leaves and nodding, double, purple flowers to 8cm across borne from late spring into early summer. Flowers comprise pointed, spidery tepals to 4cm long and 2cm wide arranged around the inner whorls of purple or purple-white staminodes
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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Purple | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Purple | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or North–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Potentially harmful
- Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (rabbits): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
- Genus
Clematis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or herbaceous perennials, mostly climbing by twining leaf-stalks, and often with showy flowers. Some have attractive fluffy seedheads in autumn
- Name status
Trade
- Horticultural Group
- Atragene Group Clematis consists of woody climbers with deciduous, 1 to 2-ternate leaves and nodding, bell-shaped, single or double flowers to 10cm across, on old wood in spring and early summer, occasionally also later, on current year's growth
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in full sun or partial shade in containers (at least 45cm deep and wide) or in the ground, in cool, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, with the crown 5-8cm deep to encourage new shoots to grow from below ground level; keep the base of the plant and the roots cool and shaded by other plants or a layer of pebbles or flat stones; for more advice, see clematis cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by internodal leaf-bud semi-ripe cuttings taken from spring to late summer, or by layering from late winter to spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Patio and container plants
- Cottage and informal garden
- Hedging and screens
- Wall side borders
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, snails and caterpillars; petals may be eaten by earwigs
Diseases
May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), clematis wilt and clematis slime flux
Get involved
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