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Clematis Mayleen vs Rooguchi

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are choosing between a spring climber for a long fence and a shorter plant with bell flowers for a border. Clematis Mayleen vs Rooguchi is that choice. The sizes come from RHS profiles, and the parcels come from two listings in the [clematis plants comparison](/hub/ornamental-plants/clematis-plants), read on 20 October 2026. Products Compared did not grow either plant. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. 'Mayleen', if that is the cultivar, is a group 1 climber of 8–12 m. 'Rooguchi', if that is the plant, is a group 3 herbaceous perennial around 1.5–2.5 m. The other four unnamed packs stay on the [best clematis plants](/hub/ornamental-plants/clematis-plants/sub/clematis-plants-best) page.

You are choosing between a spring climber for a long fence and a shorter plant with bell flowers for a border. Clematis Mayleen vs Rooguchi is that choice.

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Two habits, not two sizes of the same climber

If the plant is Clematis 'Mayleen', the RHS profile is a vigorous deciduous climber with light pink flowers about 7 cm across in late spring and early summer. Height is 8–12 m, spread is 1.5–2.5 m, hardiness is H5, and the pruning group is 1. Time to maturity is 5–10 years. It needs wires or mesh, and you tidy it after flowering. A hard cut in February removes the wood that would have flowered. The same page prints a synonym, Clematis montana var. rubens 'Mayleen', which is why both words show up on labels. It does not tell you which word is on a particular plug. If the plant is Clematis 'Rooguchi', the RHS profile is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial, about 1.5–2.5 m tall and 1–1.5 m across, with purple bell flowers to about 5 cm from early summer into early autumn. The pruning group is 3, the profile shows H6, and time to maturity is 2–5 years. The crown is set level with the soil. It does not twine up a house wall. These plants die back, suit a mixed border, and can flop, so they need a hoop or a nearby shrub. They flower better in sun and dislike a soil that is very dry or very wet. Cutting both plants in February suits only the group 3 habit.

What the two listings actually say

The Growtanical offer is three plug plants at about £16.99, rated 3.9 from 17 reviews. The title says 'Mayleen' and a bullet says Montana Rubens. The page prints group 1, pink flowers, sun or partial shade, May to June, and an APHA plant passport, the only passport sentence in this comparison. It also says H4 and height and spread 10 m. The RHS 'Mayleen' page is H5, 8–12 m tall, and 1.5–2.5 m across. H4 is about −10 to −5 °C and H5 is about −15 to −10 °C. One buyer described clothes-peg plugs and about six weeks of potting on. A nursery 3 litre price is not this amazon.co.uk offer. Clematis 'Rooguchi' Rare 10 semi is about £13.50, with 3.4 from three reviews. The page does not print height, sun, flower colour, or a pruning group. The quantity disagrees: 10 pieces, 1 item, and a bullet that says 1 pc. This page will not translate 10 semi into ten plants, ten cuttings, or seed. One review describes bell-shaped flowers. Another says seeds had not sprouted by 5 September 2026. Until the parcel matches the cultivar, the RHS height of 1.5–2.5 m is a profile, not a description of the delivery.

When to choose which

Choose the 'Mayleen' habit for a long fence, a shed, or an outbuilding, once you can fit wires or mesh and tidy after flowering. In this set that points at the Growtanical plugs at about £16.99, and it is the top pick for that fence job, with the cultivar still unsettled and the plants still young. Skip it for a 45 cm pot as a permanent home, and if you intend to hard-prune every February. Choose the 'Rooguchi' habit for a sunny border around 2 m, bell flowers into early autumn, and a February cut. In this set that points at the about £13.50 listing, and it is the best value line only if the parcel is that plant and you are not counting ten of them. Skip it for a house wall. Skip both if you need a named large-flowered group 2 hybrid. None of the six kept offers is that plant. The calendar for the two groups is on clematis pruning groups. The RHS harm line names a skin irritant and, on the pets wording, rabbits. It does not support a claim that these clematis are poisonous to dogs.

Space, count, and hardiness

H5 on the RHS 'Mayleen' page is hardier than the H4 printed on the plug listing. H6 on the RHS 'Rooguchi' profile is about −20 to −15 °C. You do not claim the RHS rating for a parcel the listing has described differently, and a pot is more exposed than open ground. If the fence is long, wait for a label that matches the climber and start with the plugs as young plants. If the bed is about 2 m, wait until the 'Rooguchi' parcel is clearly one plant of that name. Depth and the wires are a planting job once you have chosen.

Common questions

How tall is Clematis 'Mayleen' compared with 'Rooguchi'?
On the RHS profiles, 'Mayleen' is 8–12 m tall with a spread of 1.5–2.5 m, and 'Rooguchi' is 1.5–2.5 m tall with a spread of 1–1.5 m. One is a deciduous climber. The other is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial. Those figures apply only if the parcel is the named plant.
Which one covers a fence or a house wall?
The 'Mayleen' habit can cover a fence or an outbuilding if you give it wires or mesh and several years. The RHS height is 8–12 m. 'Rooguchi' does not twine up a house wall. At about 1.5–2.5 m it is a border plant, with a hoop or a shrub for stems that flop. The plugs are young, so the cover is a later season.
Which pruning group is each, and what happens if you cut both in February?
'Mayleen' is group 1 on the RHS page, and the plug listing also prints group 1. You tidy it after flowering. A hard February cut removes the coming flowers. 'Rooguchi' is group 3 on the RHS profile, and the amazon title does not print that group. Cutting both in February suits only the group 3 plant.
Is the amazon plug definitely 'Mayleen'?
No. The title says montana pink 'Mayleen' and a bullet says Montana Rubens. The RHS lists Clematis montana var. rubens 'Mayleen' as a synonym, which is why both words appear in the trade. That synonym does not identify which plant is in these three cells. Treat the parcel as unsettled until the label matches one name.
Does 10 semi mean ten Rooguchi plants?
The listing does not say so in a way you can trust. The title includes 10 semi, the number of pieces is 10, the number of items is 1, and one bullet says 1 pc. This page does not convert that clash into ten plants or a seed packet. One review said seeds had not sprouted by 5 September 2026.
Which is hardier, H4, H5, or H6?
H4 is about −10 to −5 °C, H5 is about −15 to −10 °C, and H6 is about −20 to −15 °C. The plug listing claims H4. The RHS 'Mayleen' page says H5. The RHS 'Rooguchi' profile shows H6. You cannot take the hardier RHS figure for a parcel the seller has graded differently. A pot still freezes harder than the border.
Which should you buy if you only have a 2 m border?
Buy towards the 'Rooguchi' habit, at about £13.50, if the parcel is that plant and you accept the unresolved count. A 2 m border matches the RHS height of 1.5–2.5 m, with a February cut and a support for floppy stems. 'Mayleen' at 8–12 m is the wrong scale. If you need the cultivar and the count printed clearly before you pay, neither listing has finished that job.

Related pages

Sources

Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the stored amazon.co.uk figures. The price band is this set, not a market average. The score is not a lab trial.

  1. RHS: growing clematis (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. RHS: pruning clematis (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. RHS: Clematis 'Mayleen' (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. RHS: Clematis 'Rooguchi' (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. RHS: clematis wilt (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. RHS: hardiness ratings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: plant passports in Great Britain (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21 October 2026)