Clematis 'Beautiful Bride' v Clematis 'Bambino'

Clematis of the Month for May 2025

Described by Linda Beutler

C. 'Bambino' on 21 June 2021

C. 'Beautiful Bride' on 20 May 2020

The case could be made that we have produced enough white large-flowered hybrids. Very little in modern breeding has improved on C. 'Miss Bateman' (1869), C. 'Candida' (1862), or C. 'Mrs. George Jackman' (1863). In essence they all have broad white sepals that may be rounded or pointy, and the stamens read as dark or pale, end of story. When these first white hybrids are accused of being shy to rebloom, I always feel it says more about the lack of industry of the gardener than a lack of capability in the clematis. But it seems each generation of breeders strive to leave their mark, and the two we look at this month do add something to the white large-flowered hybrids on offer.

C. 'Bambino' with C. 'Vistula' on 9 Oct 2020

Let's start with C. 'Bambino', a happy accident that arose from the clematis display garden at Joy Creek Nursery and cosseted to introduction by Maurice Horn after years of observation. The given name of this chance seedling drips with irony (bambino is Italian for baby). This flower is in no way small. It can easily reach 9 or 10 inches wide (23-25 cm). This is a dark-eyed signorina, with a lightly ruffled edge, and sepals more pointed than not. What makes it remarkable to me is the tangible thickness of the sepals. We don't usually associate durability with elegance, but this clematis has a matte satin depth and heft unique among the white hybrids.

C. 'Bambino' on 15 May 2019

C. 'Bambino' on 18 Sept 2018

C. 'Bambino' generally starts its flowering year in May, with the first flowers appearing on short growth. As the clematis climbs to 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4 meters), more lateral stems ripen sufficiently to give three waves of bloom on taller wood throughout the seasons. This is a willing grower you may be prune as you will (hard or just groomed), in late winter. If you hard prune it after the first flowering (in mid-to-late June), it will again flower on short stems. Given its ability to rebloom and the staying power of the flowers, it is surprising the cut flower trade has not picked this up.

And as we're speaking of clematis to use for cutting, Szczepan Marczyński's C. 'Beautiful Bride' is certainly a candidate for the cover of every bridal magazine in the world. This white large-flowered hybrid, with large meaning nearly 11 inches (nearly 28 cm) across. Unlike the heavy damask finish of C. 'Bambino', the fabric similes for C. 'Beautiful Bride' run more toward silk-chiffon or organza, with a hint of winsome sheerness often seen in bridal gowns. The sepals broaden before narrowing to a refined point. Although not classed as a double, once a plant has settled into the soil, it will surprise you with double flowers of amazing symmetry. The second whorl of sepals orient to fill the negative space between the points of the outer sepals, but they won't be as long. It is simply a magical result.

C. 'Beautiful Bride' on 5 May 2021, the largest bloom	C. 'Beautiful Bride' on 29 May 2023
C. 'Beautiful Bride' on 18 June 2016	C. 'Beautiful Bride' on 28 June 2013 in Poland

My first glimpse of C. 'Beautiful Bride' was on an 8' tall tuteur in the garden of its breeder (2.4 meters). It made a dramatic background for the rich purple double large-flowered hybrid from Japan, C. 'Shin-shigyoku'. One could only gasp, it was so beguiling. C. 'Beautiful Bride' made a tower of flowers from the ground up, which I suspect could have been seen at night from outer space. In my home garden, I am experimenting with growing C. 'Beautiful Bride' in a container with a spiraled metal support. All went well last year, but this year's warm April has made keeping the new growth tucked into the spiral a constant task, nearly a second career. The buds are forming on short growth to start with, like the habit of C. 'Bambino'.

We started this month's entry discussing the virtues of the antique white large-flowered hybrids. In another hundred years, future clematarians will be adding C. 'Bambino' and C. 'Beautiful Bride' to the ranks of classic whites. Other than fragrance, it is hard to imagine what more could be done to improve on these two. If cut flower clematis growers were smart, they would plant acres of these two for brides of the next generations.

Linda Beutler