Clematis 'Zo08095' LIBERTY (Patens Group)

Clematis of the Month for June 2026

Described by Wim Snoeijer

Wim Snoeijer standing next to a large C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY plant
with the bamboo canes and flowers having 8 tepals,
and a short plant with flowers having 6 tepals.

All photos are ©Wim Snoeijer other than for one photo taken by Ken Woolfenden, as acknowledged in the accompanying text.

In all those years as Clematis breeder, either private or as breeder at the Clematis nursery J. van Zoest B.V., Boskoop, the Netherlands, C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY is, no doubt, the most beautiful flower I ever bred. I still remember my remark when the first flower opened: "Dit zou niet moeten mogen..." which translate into something like "This shouldn't be allowed...", referring to the delicate and absolutely gorgeous veining of the tepals in combination with the colouring of the stamens. The veining and stamens drag your eyes, my eyes anyway, into the centre and capture you.

The veining and stamens drag your eyes, my eyes anyway, into the centre and capture you.

C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY is a hardy climber which can reach just over 2 meters when left unpruned.

 

The leaves are ternate with curling petioles and petiolules and normal to dark green (see photo to your right).

The flowers from stems grown previous years growth are 10 to 15 cm across (photo 5) with usually 8 tepals and are terminal on the young shoot with rarely side buds. The flowers on young shoots are smaller in diameter and have 6 tepals and on the shoot there is a terminal flower first followed by side buds starting to flower from the base upwards from about all nodes.

The flowers on stems of the previous year are 10 to 15 cm diameter and usually with 8 tepals The flowers on young shoots are smaller in diameter and have 6 tepals

They are terminal on the young shoot with rarely side buds First on the young shoot is a terminal flower, followed by side buds starting to flower from the base upwards from about all nodes

Flowering time in Holland is May and June, either when pruned or left unpruned, and depending on pruning in June, it also flowers in July, August or September.

C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY was selected in 2008 and introduced by J. van Zoest B.V. at the International Tradeshow Plantarium, The Netherlands, in 2014.

I classify C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY in the Patens Group because of being "upright upright", referring to the upright flower bud and the upright flower.

Upright bud

For an explanation of this and other classifications, please follow the link to the International Clematis Society webinar that Wim gave, to be found at https://clematisinternational.com/webinars.shtml

I have grown C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTYseveral years now and the plants on the photo are of the same age and both flowered in May 2026. Below is a photo showing the big plant in my "photo studio" in the shed and some photo's taken closer, plus a photo when I put the two plants outside in front of the shed for comparison.

The big plant in my photo studio in my shed	Close-up photo
Close-up photo	Comparison of the two plants

The big plant with the 1,8 m long bamboo canes was left unpruned in winter to have spring flowers from previous years growth. The pot is a 20 liter pot. After the spring flowers in May 2025, I pruned this plant to about 30 cm above soil level with new shoots on the bamboo cane which flowered in May 2026.

The short plant grows in a 10 liter pot and is the plant I brought with me to the Clematis Meeting Unterliezheim, Germany, in September 2025. Ken took the photo below of me holding the bare plant. After returning home I cut the roots to half the length and potted the plant into the 10 liter pot, gently spreading the roots. The plant flowered at the same time as the big plant but on very short growth from its base at soil level.

After taking the photo I cut off the top of the big plant and untangled the stems and from the short plant I cut off 6 shoots. The stems were put in between newspapers to dry for an herbarium specimen sheet, which, for me, is a kind of lifetime hobby.

Impressive root system, Unterliezheim Clematis Meeting, September 2025

Pruned stems, cut on 12th May 2026 and seen here, ready for drying.

I leave you with the very fresh herbarium specimen sheet of C. 'Zo08095' LIBERTY, using the stems in the photo above. Because the cut stems dried quickly, I was able to mount them, make a photo, and get it to Ken in time for publication on this web site. They are mounted on herbarium paper and a label with information was added. The specimens will be deposited at the RHS Wisley Herbarium, UK, in due course.

The stems were collected on 12 May 2026 and dried quickly. They were mounted on herbarium paper and a label with information was added. The specimens will be deposited at the RHS Wisley Herbarium, UK, in due course.

Wim Snoeijer