Clematis 'Zo09088' SUPER NOVA

Most of us are fascinated by looking at the starry sky. Are you also mesmerized by the epic animations of the universe made possible by modern animation technologies hand in hand with the findings of advanced science? Thanks to them, we can see, for example, what an explosion of a star creating a supernova looks like (or could look like) – in colour and close up. The last one that could be observed with the naked eye from our planet was Kepler's supernova on October 9, 1604, despite the distance of 20,000 light years from Earth. Thanks to the most sophisticated technology, we have the opportunity to observe its remains which are still visible today, regardless of this distance. Check the picture here. Something tells me that the breeder of the SUPER NOVA clematis must have seen that picture, too, which could be why he named his unique creation after the beautifully coloured collapsed star.

SUPER NOVA is a clematis variety bred by Jan van Zoest from the Netherlands and was launched at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival exhibition in 2016, which is organized annually by the Royal Horticultural Society in England. It bears 7-8 cm wide flowers with 4-6 petals. Their colour is breathtaking – on an almost white background, you can see numerous dark indigo purple veins, which put together create a purple blue hue. During spring blooming the flowers have more purple red tones, plus a purple stripe across each petal, while during summer blooming they are bluer. The centres are decorated with a number of dark indigo blue stamens. It grows vigorously to a height of around 3m and needs a support to vine around. The variety is protected by European patent No. EU 49057 from 2018.

It belongs to Group 2 clematis. Its flowers appear first in late spring and early summer on last year’s sideshoots, and in mid- and late summer at the tips of the current year's shoots. In early spring remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins, trimming all remaining stems to where strong buds are visible. These buds provide a framework of second-year shoots that flower in late spring and early summer. The flowers may then be removed. Young shoots bear more flowers later in the summer.

Clematis likes deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil that remains cool. You can grow a plant below clematis that will provide shade for its roots. Add garden compost in late winter and mulch it well. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 14-08-2023