slug bait them and leave them alone. See what happens you have nothing to lose. Did you prune them?

I didn't prune them. These plants are normally indestructible. I'll keep waiting.

I had one that was wonderful. Then one very wet winter, it got wet feet and died. They are marvellous when they are happy.

Some forms may be a bit tender, as was seen with dying back after a recent winter. Otherwise, I agree about the slug protection - while more common types of anemone clematis don't seem to have a particular problem, I have found slugs to be murder at least once when trying to grow a less usual cultivar of this species.

I chose it for having assertively fragrant flowers, wonder if there is a connection between that trait and slug susceptibility - like the genetic link between pink bract color, leaf spot and twig blight of Kousa dogwood.