You might want to check with Dan over at Brushwood/aka Gardenvines

Here is a link that might be useful: Brushwood

Dan carries some, Ellen Horning at Seneca Hills Perennials carries some, I believe Chalk Hill carries some, Joy Creek carries some, Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery carries a pink pitchitcheri clone, and Laporte Nursery carries a few different types of hirsutissimas. If you could be more specific as to the particular ones you are interested in, I could probably head you in the right direction.

Arrowhead Alpines have a half-dozen or so species clematis (I got Clematis Scotti there last spring)

~Chills

Here is a link that might be useful: arrowhead alpines

Good idea, Miguel...so, what 5-10 species clematis should no respectable clematis collection be without? I'm new to this.

Robert

Viorna, glaucophylla and pitcheri for climbers with beauty, crispa for fragrance. For non climbers, addisoni, the various fuscas, hirsutissima, fremonti. Those will get you started!

Robert, I have Crispa, Glaucophylla, and Viticella. The thing that appealed to me about Crispa and Glaucophylla is that they are native to the southeast. They have done very well for me. They are vigorous and I think that they are beautiful as well. I've never noticed the fragrance on Crispa, thanks Michael, I'll have to stick my nose in it this year.

Carol

I have to concur with the suggestions given so far but would like to add texensis, especially if you can get a good red clone. The true fusca is a little brown fuzzy thing that might not appeal to some due to its coloration, not traditional in most respects. I like ianthiana, sometimes sold as fusca var. violacea, with its purple-brownish bells. Hirsutissimas and the scottis are intersting looking ones that I am having a hard time getting to bloom. Carol Lim in Pennsylvania shares my frustrations with these ones but those further north seem to have better luck with them, not sure if it is a zonal thing or not. I am still holding out that mine will bloom eventually and that they are just ones that take much longer to get established. Socialis is one that has interesting foliage unlike most other clematis. Mine that was obtained last fall has a bud on it right now. Then there are albicoma and ochroleuca as well as many others. There are tons of other non-native US species but you could have just a garden with the species and not have room for anything else.

Miguel, where did you get your good red clone of Texensis? I have been wanting that one but wasn't sure where to get the best, truest red clone.

Speaking of foliage Miguel how are you liking the foliage on Mrs. Robert Brydon? I really like the very different foliage and mine was covered with the most beautiful tiny light blue blooms last year. It bloomed for a long period of time too. That clematis jumped out of the ground like a wild thing this spring and is already about 4 feet tall

Sorry about the hijack Robert, we tend to segue to all sorts of things around here :-)

Carol

Carol, unfortunately I got mine from Dianne at Collectors Nursery and she has since gone out of business. I am attempting to grow some plants from seeds from my plant but since it is surrounded by many other clematis there is no telling what the seedlings might look like and if I will get germinations. I know the seeds are viable since I have peeled the seed coats off. Here are several pictures of the flowers on the parent plant.

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Joy Creek has one form called Tarpley River form or something along those lines that is supposed to be a good red. I believe they are sold out but I tried accessing their website a minute ago and am having issues trying to get items to come up on my computer screen. Not sure if it is my computer or if they are updating the site or they are having website troubles. I can get to the main page but then when I click on the CL to get to the clematis listing I get a blank page. You might want to try and see if you can get there later. Dan at Brushwood sells a texensis as does Ellen at Seneca Hills Perennials but they are both sold out I believe and I am not sure how red their flowers are. You could contact either of them and see when they might have it available.

Mrs. Robert Brydon was just purchased last fall from Donahues. I potted it up in a one gallon sized pot and allowed the pot to sit outside from fall until February. At that time, we were having a warm spell so I went ahead and put it in the ground. It has just recently come up and I am going to have it crawl all over a blue pacific juniper. Here it is today.

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It reminds me a lot of Jouinana Praecox which has been in the ground several years and is already busting up all over the place.

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The foliage of both of them is also similar to two plants that I am assuming are heracleifolias that I started from seed in Nov. 07 although the leaves on these two are more rounded as opposed to the pointed and more highly serrated leaves of Brydon or joiniana.

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Just so Robert won't think we are hijacking his thread, following are a few pictures of some of the US natives that I think a garden shouldn't be without.

Addisonii
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Glaucophylla

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Viorna
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Versicolor (not one that has done stellar in my garden)
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Crispa
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Pitcheri
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Ochroleuca (lost this one two years ago and haven't replaced it)

And although not a US native, one that I really love is ianthina.

I have viticella the species as well but it was just planted last spring and is just now coming up.

I didn't mean to hijack Robert's thread either, but since you guys are talking about sources for species clematis, and I also have been getting into the Viorna Group and have been trying to locate a source for the plants, may I ask if anyone might have sources for the following clematis?

I'm very interested in:

Clematis glaucophylla
Clematis versicolor
Clematis reticulata
Clematis socialis
Clematis baldwinii
Clematis ianthina
Clematis albicoma
Clematis coactilis

Seneca Hills Perennials and Sunlight Gardens have some clematis that I want, but unfortunately don't ship their plants to WA state. I'd love to grow some of the clematis above, but haven't been able to locate a source for either plants or seeds.

Joy Creek and Chalk Hill might have a few of these, but some of those are only available as seeds (that I know of), such as versicolor, socialis and baldwinii.

I don't think Chalk Hill or Joy Creek have any of these as I peruse all clematis nursery websites quite frequently looking for anything new. If you have someone in a state closeby to you, Ellen at Seneca Hills or Sunlight Gardens could ship to them and then they could ship on to you. Been there and done that quite a few times for myself and for others.

The only place I have ever found versicolor and socialis was Woodlanders but haven't checked their website recently. I know they can't do interstate shipments for socialis even if they do have it.

I have never seen a nursery ever offer reticulata or baldwinii in all the years of my searching. You might find a seed source for them if you care growing from seed. NARGS has a quite extensive seed list if you are a member.

Michael and nckvilledudes, thanks very much for the info and tips!

Hopefully these will be more easily available in the near future. Until then, I will keep looking. They are quite beautiful and deserve more attention than they're getting!

I agree wholeheartedly Peppa. I wish they were more readily available.