clemdetail -

Clematis 'Xerxes' (Noble)

Large or very large, deep violet flowers with a crimson or purple bar. Sometimes flowers semi-double. Reddish-purple stamens.

This cultivar has been regularly confused with 'Elsa Späth' (and sometimes with 'Mrs P B Truax'), indeed some modern catalogues list 'Xerxes' as a synonym of 'Elsa Späth'. Christopher Lloyd was of the opinion that the true 'Xerxes' no longer existed in cultivation, although the International Register and Checklist 2002 suggests otherwise. The photograph from Joan Beers shows a plant bought from 'Hortico' as 'Xerxes' in 2005.

Group:	Early large-flowered group
Approximate height: The heights given here are for guidance only. Much depends on the growing conditions of individual specimens.	2.0 - 3.0 metres
Flowering period(s): Warning: the months here are approximate for the northern hemisphere: users south of the equator should add approximately 6 months so that July becomes January etc.	Jun Jul Aug Sep
Pruning:	Light prune (Group 2)
Raised by:	Charles Noble
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Date raised: r=raised s=selected f=first flowered n=named i=introduced b=before c=about	i1877
Parentage: (s) = seed parent	'Fortunei' x 'Jackmanii'
Other name(s):	Wrongly: 'Elsa Späth' - see text
Further detail:	Flower diameter: 14-23cm Tepals: 6-12; overlapping Leaves: ternate or pinnate