Yes, ‘Celebration’ is the first large flowered clematis with golden yellow leaves.
As you can see from the picture (click to enlarge), the leaves really are bright yellow. What’s more the edges of the leaves are lined in red and the stems are red too. So the plant looks amazing even before flowering begins.
Then, in May and June, the double flowers open. Each flower is about 6in/15cm across, white with a blue tint, and with a gold flush on the basal petals. Later in the season the blooming is repeated, this time with single flowers. Prune every year after the display of double flowers, the plants should reach a height of about 6-8ft/1.8-2.4m).
Having said all that, the foliage looks so colourful that I’d be tempted to prune it hard in spring, miss out on those early flowers and grow it specifically as a foliage plant. There would still be single flowers later. I’m looking forward to trying both approaches. Leaf colour is best in full sun and in soil which is not too rich; Sussex Plants, who introduced the plant, say “avoid overfeeding”.
‘Celebration’ is a gold-leaved sport of the nineteenth century variety ‘Jackmanii Alba’ which has green foliage and double flowers with a little less blue colouring. ‘Celebration’ was discovered back in 1993 by Fred Godfrey of Sussex Plants, so it’s taken many years to bring the plant to the point when it can be made available.
For more information take a look at the ‘Celebration’ clematis website. To reserve a plant for dispatch next spring, go to the Clematis ‘Celebration’ page on the Thorncroft Clematis Nursery website.