Clematis 'Elsa Späth' aka 'Blue Boy' and 'Xerxes'

    Raised by L. Späth of Berlin, Germany.  Introduced in 1891.  Flowers are 6-7" in diameter.  A rich dark blue that gradually fades with time giving an attractive two toned appearance to the whole plant.  A very old and well known variety.  Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Flowering period: Early summer to mid summer and early  fall.                

Repetitive (continuous) blooming-  By trimming off old flowers before they go to seed, keeping it well feed and watered, you will get flowers through summer and into the fall.

Habit: Moderately fast growing deciduous climbing vine.

Height: 6-7'.

Exposure:  Full sun to part shade.

Site:  Tolerates most garden soils.

Recommended use:  Grow on a trellis, arbor, obelisk, wall or fence, separately or in combination with other plants.  Ideal for container use on decks and patios.  Makes an excellent companion plant for roses.

Pruning: (Group 2)  When starting with a new plant prune as follows: during the winters of year 1 and 2 cut each stem ½ -1" above the lowest pair of active buds.  This will encourage low branching, giving you a fuller looking plant in later years.  Winter pruning after year 2 would be to cut each stem back to a strong pair of buds.  Remove dead or weak branches.  Hard pruning in winter will be at the expense of some spring flowers as they form on growth from the previous season.  You can prune this clematis to shape the plant in late spring after its main flowering period, with out the worry of cutting off potential flowers.    

Watering:  Likes regular water. Soil should be moist but not wet.  Water deeply and then allow to dry somewhat to encourage deep rooting.

Zones:  4-9.