Princess Diana clematis

Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’

Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’ at USU in October 2025, showing a pink flower alongside prominent feathery seed heads. Photo: S. Burlakot

Summary

Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’ (Princess Diana Clematis) is a deciduous, woody climbing vine in the Ranunculaceae family derived from a North American species. This cultivar typically grows 6–8 ft tall and climbs by twining leaf stalks around supports such as trellises, fences, or arbors. The foliage consists of pinnately compound, medium-green leaves that provide a light, fine-textured canopy during the growing season. From early summer through early fall (June–September), the plant produces distinctive tulip-shaped to bell-shaped flowers that are deep reddish-pink with lighter pink margins and contrasting cream to maroon stamens. These showy flowers are followed by silky ornamental seed heads later in the season.  Princess diana clematis is a fast-growing vine that flowers on new wood and is typically pruned as a Group 3 clematis. It grows best in fertile, well-drained soils with the flowering stems in full sun to partial shade and the root zone kept cool and shaded. The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 4–8 (Missouri Botanical Garden), with some sources reporting adaptability to Zones 4–9 (Monrovia).

  Princess diana clematis established moderately well at the USU trial site, although transplant success was variable during the first season. Approximately half of the plants did not transplant successfully and were replaced with new plants. Following the winter of 2024, 15 plants survived across irrigation treatments. Despite the reduced plant number, the surviving vines performed well during the growing season. Plants developed moderate canopy growth and often covered up to approximately 80% of the trellis by late summer. Flowering occurred throughout the canopy from summer into early fall, and the distinctive tulip-shaped pink flowers were highly rated for their ornamental value during evaluations.

Although the vines generally produced thinner stems compared with some of the other taxa in the trial, they developed numerous lateral branches that clung well to the trellis, allowing the plants to maintain good coverage with minimal pruning or training. Adequate watering during the early years of growth may help ensure proper root establishment. Once established, plants showed good growth and flowering even under reduced irrigation conditions.