Looks more like 'Malaya Garnet' to me, both because of the deeper color, and the extra blonde "tuft" in the center which my 'Nelly Moser' seem to lack.

I can't answer the sun question, mine are shaded. :(

DOH! I meant to add, have you considered 'Dr. Ruppel'?

Here is a link that might be useful: GardenWeb Clematis 'Dr. Ruppel' Thread

I saw that thread before I posted and there seems to be alot of confusion there as well...I just want to know so when the time comes I can prune it correctly! I'm not touching it this year...

I doubt you have Malaya Garnet, especially if you purchased it from a Home Depot. The only clematis that I have seen sold at the Big Box stores tend to be ones that are fairly common and commonly heard of, neither of which would be true for Malaya Garnet.

A better clue as to what you had would be had if you posted a picture of a newly opened flower. Older flowers often fade out and don't truly resemble new flowers.

As to whether clematis sepals wilt in full sun, they can if the humidity is low, the temps are high, and the soil moisture level is low. The plant can lose more water than it can take in hence the leaves and sepals can wilt. If by the next morning the leaves or flowers are back to not being wilted, it probably is due to the inability to take up moisture faster than it is losing it.

If you have read any other posts on this forum, you would know by now that pruning a type II clematis as a type III would not harm it and would in fact help it become better established and encourage more shoots from the base. Regardless of which clematis you have, I can say with almost full certainty that it is a type II clematis. I have never seen a type III clematis that looks anything like yours.

Pruning a type II clematis as a type III would not harm it and would in fact help it become better established and encourage more shoots from the base. Regardless of which clematis you have, I can say with almost full certainty that it is a type II clematis. I have never seen a type III clematis that looks anything like yours.

I'll say that again!

BorS, it seems we have to repeat this again and again.

Nelly Moser has maroon filament tips, and is common, so I bet that is what the OP got. Dr. Ruppel has white filaments.

I just hate for anyone to have scraggly poorly performing vines, like I used to. I know how easy it is to want to baby the dang things along but it is counter productive.

It was ridiculous for me to worry about pruning since I made a living in horticulture for over twenty years. I didn't get my degree, stupidly dropped out of college but have had three years of horticulture training and am an (inactive) university extension master gardener too.

Yet I was afraid to chop the scraggly vines down. I have no idea why. Perhaps because they were all Group 1's and 2's. They don't cost that much, they aren't rare and in fact, I got many of mine for free in the first place.

Clematis are wonderful but need a proper start in life to do their best. Hard pruning and pinching back are what they all need. Just do it.

I had the same problem with my Huldine, which I let climb on one stem for several years. I knew it was a group 3, I knew I should cut it back hard, I was ruthless with my SAC, but because I had paid a lot of money for Huldine relative to what I usually spend on clematis, I couldn't force myself to do it until someone here figuratively kicked my butt. Now it has lots of stems coming up and looks great. Duh!

Well, I took your pruning advice last year and I have 3 that are not showing up this year at all. Now they were all naked at the bottom and had no leaves when I cut them back. I was just tired of seeing naked bottoms, no pun intended. They were Josephine, Henryii, and the President. I have had them all for years. Is it because they had no leaves when I cut them back or what?

No, that should not have made any difference.

Have some patience, they should sprout up from the ground.

I have several that are just now coming up while others are finished blooming already. Weather and location and cultivar makes a difference.