• Close-up of a purple flower with green leaves in the background
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Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa

Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa

$80.00
$80.00
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Taxes included.
Pot Size/Grade

This large-flowered clematis produces fully double blooms in a rich deep blue-purple, with a contrasting creamy centre that really pops against fences, pergolas, arches, and light-coloured walls. Expect a big show in late spring/early summer, then a second flush later in the season and because it flowers on both old wood and new growth, you’re not relying on just one set of stems for flowers.

It’s also got a great story: ‘Kiri Te Kanawa’ was named in honour of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the New Zealand soprano who famously sang at Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding on 29 July 1981.

Where it works best in NZ gardens: train Clematis ‘Kiri Te Kanawa’ through a trellis, up a post, or into an open shrub or climbing rose for that layered “cottage meets modern” look. Give it sun for flowering, but keep the root zone cool (a small shrub, groundcover, or mulch at the base works a treat).

Classic clematis rule: “heads in the sun, feet in the shade” keep the root zone cool with mulch, pebbles, or a low plant at the base.

  • Expected 5 Year Height 2.0 M Width 1.0 M

Is Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa suitable for my garden?

Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa is best suited in a position that gets

  • Full sun

Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa is

  • Flowering
  • Attracts pollinators
  • Deciduous
  • Frost Tolerant
  • Fast-growing
  • Cold hardy

Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa will thrive in soil that is

  • Acidic
  • Normal
  • Free draining
  • Nutrient rich

How to establish your Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa?

Dig wide, not just deep. Clematis love improved soil — mix compost through the planting area.
Plant it deeper than it sits in the pot. Set the crown 5–8 cm below soil level. This helps it shoot from below ground and can improve resilience if stems get damaged.
Give it support from day one. Tie in new growth gently as it climbs (don’t wait for it to “find” the trellis).
Water well through spring and summer for the first couple of seasons — consistent moisture is key while roots run out.
Keep the base cool: mulch 5–8 cm thick (not piled against stems), or plant a small groundcover/shrub in front.
Feeding: a light spring feed (general slow-release fertiliser) + a top-up of compost is usually plenty.

How to maintain your Clematis Kiri Te Kanawa once established?

This is a Pruning Group 2 clematis (light prune) — because it flowers on old and new wood.

Prune 1: Late winter / early spring (NZ: Aug–Sep)

Remove dead, weak, or damaged stems.
Shorten remaining stems back to a pair of strong buds (you’re tidying and shaping, not cutting it to the ground).

Prune 2: After the first flush (NZ: Dec–Jan)

When the main flowering finishes, snip back stems just below the spent flowers to strong buds/shoots.
This encourages fresh growth for that later flowering.

If it’s gotten leggy or bare at the bottom: you can do a harder cut-back (down to around 30 cm) after the first flush, but you’ll likely sacrifice the second round of flowers while it regrows.
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