Some of mine were about 6 inches high before the last frost hit. I don't remember dates though. It doesn't take long after the frost has left the ground and the soil starts warming before the shoots appear. If it stays too cool, growth will be slow, but as soon as you get a few warmish sunny days, they start to grow really fast.

One of my biggest pleasures in gardening, but especially in the early years of my clematis growing, was to walk around my garden every morning in the spring and see what had appeared. After a long, cold, white winter it was a thrill to see new green growth coming, and I still remember worrying that my clematis hadn't made it through, only to see not just one, but MULTIPLE stems poking through! That could make me cheerful for the whole day. It's a good thought to hold on to as we cycle down into the dead part of the year.

Oh that does sound nice, strolling through the garden on a sunny Spring morning, I'll look forward to it. It does give us something to think about through the long cold Winter.

Linda, I'm glad you thought to ask this. I had been wondering the same thing! I can't wait to see new growth in the spring. It's so sad to see everything browning out now!