Clematis Princess Kate (ZOPRIKA)

Clematis “Princess Kate” (ZOPRIKA)

Categories: texensis group, white clematis, pink clematis, 3 pruning group

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ (Princess Kate, ZOPRIKA) came on sale in Russia a few years ago and because of the exceptional beauty of its flowers it became in demand. It is very heat-loving. Most likely, it will grow poorly if you have colder than in Oregon.

Table of Contents

The variety was received in 2003 by breeders of the company J van Zoest BV, and registered only in 2011. It came on the market about 6 or 7 years ago, which is relatively recent. Therefore, it is still protected by a license, and the origin of the variety is known, but classified.

Characteristics

Group Texensis
Pruning 3 (Hard prune)
Height 3…4 metres (9…12 ft)
Flowers small and medium-sized, up to 2.5 inches
Flower coloring inside white, red purple at base, outsite pinky-red
Blooning June – Septermber
USDA Zones 7-9

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ Description

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ is strong-growing, the shoots can grow up to 4 meters. The plant clings to supports with leaf petioles. The petioles, like the stems, are brownish-red.

‘Princess Kate’ blossoms on the shoots of the current year, starting in June and until the end of September. But this is in the UK, in different states of the USA flowering may be shifted to earlier or later.

Flowers are small to medium-sized, 4…6 cm across, bell-shaped at first, then gradually open. Sepals are 6, fused at the base, lanceolate in shape, bent along the midline and curved upwards. Sepals are up to 5 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. Coloration of sepals on the upper side is white with a faint pink tinge, gradually changing to pink at the base. On the underside, the sepals are slightly darker.

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ vs ‘Duchess of Albany’

Params ‘Princess Kate’ ‘Duchess of Albany’
Height 9′ – 12′ (2,7m – 3.6m) 7′ – 14′ (2m – 4m)
Flower Size up to 2,5 inches (6 cm) 2…3,5 inches (5…8 cm)
Tepals 4-7.5cm long, 3-5cm wide, ovate-lanceolate, thick and fleshy, touching, with tips slightly recurved 4-6; 4-6cm long, fleshy, pointed, tip recurved
Tepals color white on the inside, purple-purple-red on the outside. pink
Anthers color creamy filaments cream, anthers dark red-purple
USDA Zones 7-9 4-9

Photo Gallery

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ planting and care

Сlematis ‘Princess Kate’ growing conditions

Hardiness 7-9
US states, where clematis grows well Oregon, Utah, Washington, Nevada, New York, Michigan, California, Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Arkansas,Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida
Heat Zones 4-9
Plant Type vine
Plant Family Ranunculaceae
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Tolerance Deer

All clematis of the Texensis group are not winter-hardy and are heat-loving. ‘Princess Kate’ also does not overwinter well in regions with cold winters and requires a long warm summer for successful development. USDA zones for this clematis are 7 to 9. This means that ‘Princess Kate’ will grow well in the UK and many states in the United States, but you will have problems if you want to grow it in one of the northern US states or Canada. This is not to say that you cannot plant such a clematis in Canada or Minnesota; however, you will need to cover it carefully

When to plant clematis?

Plant ‘Princess Kate’ clematis best when the soil temperature rises to 68 degrees Fahrenheit if you plan to plant it in spring. In the fall, you should wait until the soil temperature drops to this value. Planting in the summer is highly undesirable because you can easily damage both the root system and the stems at this time. In summer, you can only transplant clematis with a lump of earth.

Selecting a planting site for ‘Princess Kate’ clematis. If you are in a region with cold winters, it will be better to choose a well-lit and wind-protected spot on the south, west or east side of the wall. If you are in a region where winters are almost non-existent and summers are very hot, on the contrary, it is necessary to protect the clematis from too bright sunlight. In such cases, planting near the north wall is preferable, as well as in a slightly shaded spot near the west or east wall. Also, when planting in southern states, it is very important to protect the clematis root system from overheating. This can be accomplished by using mulch or planting ground cover plants.

The soil for planting clematis should be loose, well-drained, with a high content of humus and various nutrients. Very bad for growing clematis heavy clay soils, because in such places their roots suffer from rotting, and such clematis are often sick with wilt.

Preparing a planting hole for clematis

Preparing planting hole for clematis Princess Kate
Despite the fact that clematis seems to be a small plant, especially when you have just bought it, the planting hole for its cultivation should be large enough. Its diameter should be about 1.5 feet and its depth should also be about 1.5 feet.

To fill the planting hole, use the soil that you took out of the hole. This soil should be mixed with compost and humus in a 1:1 ratio. Also, add about an ounce of superphosphate and an ounce of potassium sulfate or a prolonged complex fertilizer with high phosphorus and potassium content. This is necessary to provide quality mineral nutrition to the clematis in its first year.

How to plant, is it possible to deepen clematis ‘Princess Kate’ when planting?

Look at the plant you have purchased. If it is old enough and the lower part of the stems are woody, you can safely deepen it to the height of the woody part, preferably to a height of one to three buds. This will allow you to quickly get a more branching clematis from the ground.

If you have purchased a very young plant that has succulent and green stems at the bottom, it should not be buried. You must plant it just as it is growing now.

To protect against wilt, you can pour a mixture of sand and ash over the clematis roots before planting. This mixture creates a barrier to harmful fungi.

Carefully cover the clematis with the prepared soil mixture when planting. After planting, be sure to water it abundantly and firmly tamp the soil so that it adheres to the roots.

Care of Clematis ‘Princess Kate’

Water ‘Princess Kate’ clematis only in times of severe drought. Water it rarely, but abundantly. You should pour about 3 gallons of water, or about 10 liters, under an adult plant at once. Under a young plant you should pour about 1.5 gallons of water, or about 5 liters. It is better not to water clematis with cold water from the water pipe or well, but to let it warm up a little.

Mulching the soil

Mulch provides clematis with an additional source of organic matter in the soil, protects the roots from overheating, as well as the soil from excessive evaporation of moisture. The best mulch is grass clippings, hay or straw. You can also use hardwood sawdust, but it is not as effective. I do not recommend mineral mulch made of various stone chips, such mulch contaminates the soil and makes it less convenient for further cultivation. If your clematis often suffer from wilt, before mulching you can cover the circle around the plant with a mixture of sand and ash and lay the mulch on top of this mixture.

Fertilizing clematis

If you planted your clematis in autumn, you can apply a nitrogen fertilizer the following year in spring at a rate of about 5 grams of nitrogen per active ingredient. If you plant clematis in spring, you can add this fertilizer to the hole when planting. The plant does not need any more fertilizer in the first year of growth, because it has everything it needs in the soil.

Starting from the second year, feed your Clematis Princess Kate according to the following scheme.

  1. The first feeding is carried out at the very beginning of vegetation. Apply organic fertilizer, compost or humus, but not poultry manure, in almost unlimited quantities, spreading it around the plants on the soil. In addition, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied to the soil in the form of a solution. For an adult clematis will require about 10 g of nitrogen, 5 g of phosphorus and 5 g of potassium. For a young plant, these doses should be halved. In addition, fertilizing with a complex of micro- and macroelements, such as zinc, magnesium, iron and others, will be very useful.
  2. The second fertilizing is carried out at the beginning of budding of clematis. In this fertilizing, add 5 g of nitrogen, 10 g of phosphorus and 10 g of potassium for adult plants, and twice as much for young plants. The introduction of a complex of microelements will also be useful and will provide a more lush flowering.
  3. The third is carried out about 3 weeks after the second. The norms of fertilizer application are the same as in the second top dressing.
  4. The fourth fertilization is necessary at the end of summer. Introduce 5 grams of phosphorus and 5 grams of potassium by active substance. This will allow the shoots to better mature and increase the winter hardiness of the plants.

Pruning clematis ‘Princess Kate’.

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ belongs to the third group of pruning. This means that it is cut short in the fall to a height of about one to two feet above a pair of strong buds. The clematis should then be covered, especially if you are in a region where winters are quite cold and long. For example, in Michigan, Minnesota and even Oregon it is better to cover ‘Princess Kate’ clematis, while in California or the south of the UK it is not necessary. If you are planting ‘Princess Kate’ in Canada, you should be sure to provide adequate shelter.

Diseases and pests of clematis “Princess Kate”

The greatest danger for clematis “Princess Kate” is wilt. Clematis wilt is caused by soil pathogenic fungi that affect the vascular system of plants, because of which the entire shoot withers and dies. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to combat this. To some extent from wilt is protected by keeping the soil in an alkaline state by applying physiologically alkaline fertilizers or watering the soil with a mixture of lime and water in a ratio of about 50 g of lime per 10 liters of water. The application of wood ash also alkalizes the soil. As a radical means of combating soil fungi can be recommended irrigation fungicides, such as Fundazol and Previcur, but it should be understood that these fungicides are quite toxic. Therefore, they are not sold to gardeners in all regions.

Sometimes clematis are affected by various spots, powdery mildew and gray rot. To prevent these diseases, it is recommended to spray clematis with fungicides based on copper.

Clematis pests are infrequent, but they can be eaten by mice and deer. Mice damage clematis in winter and deer damage them throughout the year.

Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ Reviews

  • Ottawa, Canada: Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ has been planted twice in recent years and has twice died out in winter. It is likely that the author has given up on further cultivation of this clematis.
  • near Manchester, UK: Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ has been growing for 4 years, the first 2 years it grew very poorly in spring, but now it is growing well and the fourth bloom is finally abundant and quite bright.
  • California, near San Francisco: clematis has been growing on the patio for several years. Each year the blooms become more and more abundant. The author does not use any fertilizer, he just waters the clematis when it is too hot outside and occasionally prunes it in late fall.
  • Oregon: clematis ‘Princess Kate’ was , purchased from a local collector in 2018. In 2022 there were 4 blooms, it was very weak. In the 2023 season there are new shoots and about 12 blooms, and some of them look exactly like the photos. Very beautiful clematis, the author likes them.

If you also grew clematis ‘Princess Kate’, please leave your feedback in the comments to the article. It will be useful to other readers of the site.

About the author

Fedor Fironov
Graduate of Plant Protection Faculty at GSAU. Main area of interest – clematis, peonies and perennials of Lamiaceae .

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