CLEMATIS ‘Perle d’Azur’

Paz1 Perle d'Azur on the PergolaRaised in Lyon, France by Francisque Morel . 1885

Sumptuous, bee-friendly BLUE flowers of this perennial climber shared pergola and rose arch with Morning Glories here for years. ‘Perle d’Azur’ is generous with its flowers, which bloom from June to late Autumn.

Its leaves may suffer from powdery mildew by September, but the flowers remain perfect. Spray with dilute washing-up liquid, but nothing more lethal than that. After flowering, cut back to young sideshoots or strong buds lower down.

Paz5 - Perle d'Azur on rose arch, Male Fern and Cycad Paz3 Perle d'Azur flowers, blue sky and puffy cloudsPaz2 - Perle d'Azur bloom

Penelope Hobhouse grew ‘Perle d’ Azur’ in the garden at Tintinhull, Gloucester, where she underplanted it with Cranesbills – Hardy Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’.

ON GARDENING, Penelope Hobhouse, Frances Lincoln Ltd, Macmillan, 1994.

Clematis Perle d'azur, Meadowsweet, ferns, Goat Willow