hi, that looks like something from the heracleifolia group not sure which it would be, are you familiar with" Clematis on the Web"?

Here is a link that might be useful: Eclipse

Yep, I also think c.heracleifolia - 'Wyvale', 'Davidiana', 'Cassandra' maybe. Not stans which has more pendant blooms.

Yes, I'm familiar with COTW - see link to their page on C. stans below.... From what I can gather, C. stans is highly variable re flower size, shape and color and I can't find anything definitive re the look of the leaves as a distinguishing factor, so I'm not sure what this is - and it doesn't really matter I think. It's not big and showy like the large-flowered clematises, but it's interesting and seems to suit where it is in the garden and that's good enough for me :-) I'm not entirely sure where I got it - I vaguely remember getting it years ago from a nursery that I think may not be in business now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis stans on COTW

campanula - the Cassandra looks like maybe a possibility for it, but none of them look just right to me, but it's hard to tell if the soil and growing conditions etc. make a difference in how they look. I've not seen others like this around here so I don't have anything to compare it to 'in real life' that would make the identity clear to me. So I'll defer to you two's better judgement on it.... :-)

P.S. I just found the tag for the similar-looking one in the patio bed in the backyard - that one rarely blooms because it is in too much shade. The tag for that one is C. stans (but no variety name,) which is probably why that name is familiar for me, and I'm assuming since I got them all at the same place at the same time, they're likely to be the same thing. Maybe....

well hey, learning summat new.......which makes me wonder what is growing in my neighbours garden - I gave her my (ahem) 'stans' cos it was too leafy for me - looks very like hyacinthoides non-scripta bluebells with heaps of huge leaves (although that would be just the ticket for you, eh, Woody). Paler than yours, too.

Here's a photo of my heracleifolia var. davidiana which is just starting to bloom. Leaves are similar, flowers are not.

Kevin

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It's always possible that the tag I have for the one in the back is wrong - I find clematis to be generally the plant most apt to be mislabeled! And an unusual clematis might be particularly prone to error...? It could also be that I bought two different things.... I do vaguely remember that the one in the display garden at the nursery was in full sun in a scree sort of bed and the guy said it got no supplemental water. But when I got home and looked up the name, that didn't sound right for the conditions it was recommended for, so I think that's why I tried one in front in full sun and one in the back in 'edge of woodland' part sun/shade. But my recollection is fuzzy so who know what I actually bought and put where...?! I checked on the one in the patio bed later this afternoon. It is now in pretty much complete shade as other things near it have got bigger since it was planted in 2002. I definitely need to dig that one up and move it into more sun before it fades away completely! We're getting some showers now and it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Maybe Wed. or Thurs. we'll move that one - if I can figure out where to put it - whatever 'it' is (I think its identity remains a mystery... :-)

I have a clematis stans that I grew from traded seed several years ago. It looks like yours, woody. Not in bloom yet though soon. Have mine growing at the base of a maple tree with half day sun. Not showy but It is unusual. Gave another one to a friend.

Woodyoak, do your clematis flowers have any scent? I've got a shrubby but floppy clematis stans with flowers like that only a lot whiter in color (I like your color better). But mine have a nice light violets fragrance that is I think is supposed to be characteristic.

I've never thought to smell them :-) I'll have to give it a try and let you know...

I couldn't smell any scent when I checked this morning, but most of the flowers are fading now, and it was a cool morning - so conditions were not conducive to promoting scent development :-) Tomorrow I hope to move the plant in the backyard around to somewhere in the front garden. If it survives the move, maybe next year it'll be possible to compare this one (which I have no tag for) with the one that has a C. stans label to see if they are the same thing or whether the front one is a different kind.

The flowers are fading fast now - but still of interest to the hummingbirds!
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I moved the one with the Clematis stans tag from the backyard (where it was in too much shade and hadn't bloomed in years....) to the front garden on Thursday. I'm not at all sure it will survive the move - looks pretty sick at the moment.... If it survives though I should be able next summer to compare it to the other one to see how similar they are.

'woody' that picture is for sure one for framing....kudos to the photographer.

Woodyoak, Two thumbs way, way up on that photo.

DH is the photographer - a very good one. He takes some amazing photos...! I will pass on the complements :-)

My clematis stans is blooming now. A surprise is the dark blooms which are a bit longer and wider than the pale blue.
Perhaps there is a second seed grown plant in there that is blooming for the first time this year. Will look closer at the plant this afternoon.

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The dark color is very pretty! From what I've read, the color and size/shape of the flowers is quite variable. It looks like you've got a very nice one there.

Thanks, woody. It looks like there are two plants together. Perhaps a dormant seed germinated a year or so after I planted the light blue there and it is finally big enough to bloom. Think I will leave them together as I like the contrast of the deeper blue with the pale blue. The branches are intermingled with both colored blooms throughout.