Thanks, Babs! I've been eyeing texensis Etoile Rose and macropetala Blue Bird -- what do you think about those?

(I also have Betty Corning on the list - thanks for confirming!)

I am impressed with 'Little Bas' that Babs has growing into her hydrangea. There are many old threads that can be accessed through the search function at the top of the clematis forum page. Here is one

Photos of clematis in trees and shrubs

Little Bas

I grow a variety of twos and threes along my neighbor's chain link fence. They are spaced 3-4 ft apart with the idea they will grow into each other. When they get too tall they flop over the fence. Flowers for both of us.. Click to enlarge.

@mnwsgal -- Yes, thanks, I already do that. Right now, though, I'm looking for personal experiences with specific varieties that get especially big -- and I find that size descriptions on commercial websites are often very inaccurate. But thanks for the lovely pics anyway!

And yes, I'm familiar with the gardenweb search function -- in fact, I've been a gardenweb member since it's original owner (that was two or three owners ago, and somewhere around 15 years, I think!). But "big clematis" is a rather vague search term. ;-)

edited to add -- there's a photo in the first link you posted, of Huldine growing into a large cedar tree, which is the exact situation and effect I'm going for. So thanks for posting that! I'm not especially fond of Huldine -- I want more color than that -- but that should give anyone a good idea. I'm looking for varieties that will get that big.

Update: I went through every clem listed at Brushwood, Joy Creek, Whiteflower Farm, Bluestone, and Plant Delights (no, I didn't search COTW -- that's a British site, where sizes may be very different because of the different growing conditions). Here are the varieties that at least one of those sites listed as getting 15 feet or more and hardy to at least zone 7 (keep in mind that commercial sites often disagree, and I didn't include sweet autumn):

Huldine
Henryi
montana -- several varieties
Jenny Keay
texensis
connata
Little Bas
Paul Farges (Summer Snow)

Sichuan Sunshine
virginiana
tibetana
tangutica
-- tangutica Lambton Park
-- tangutica x Aureolin
Bill MacKenzie
Tie Dye
uncinata
alba luxurians
Apple Blossom
armandii Snowdrift
cirrhosa varieties -- late fall through winter
fasciculiflora
Mrs. Cholmondeley

So many choices!

Interestingly, no commercial site that I've found lists Betty Corning as getting more than 10 feet -- but sites like gardenweb tend to say otherwise.

Right now I'm thinking of adding another montana, wilsonii, since it has a slightly later bloom time than the Mayleen I already have. Nothing wrong with extending my montana season! Also cirrhosa 'Freckles', because I love the idea of having blooms all winter on warm days. Then Sweet Summer Love. Maybe Huldine even though it's white, probably texensis 'Etoile Rose' even though it may be short for what I'm currently looking for, eventually Tie Dye and Princess Kate. And of course bunches and bunches more shorter ones to go with every new rose and shrub! ;-)

These things are dangerously addictive, in case you hadn't noticed. I've already got about 25, but of course that isn't stopping me!

Any input welcome!

I have to say that Little Bas is a real favorite of mine.

Here it is in its second year in my garden growing over an almost-blooming Hydrangea paniculata Quickfire which is 6' tall in my garden. LB starts perhaps a week before QF and since the QF then blooms until frost, LB stops blooming sooner, after perhaps 4-6 weeks.

They are addictive, aren't they?

Does one of those nurseries have a current stock of Tye Dye? I couldn't find it anywhere this year and I would like to get it.

re Tie Dye -- Nope, the only source I see for it right now is BloomingBulb -- and heaven only knows if that's what you'd actually get. I've ordered from them once, and I gotta say the Japanese iris I got from them are growing well, but I haven't seen them bloom yet, so I don't know if they're true to name -- and the lily bulbs I got at the same time are pretty danged small.

http://www.bloomingbulb.com/p-47416-tie-dye-clematis-3-pre-started-plants.aspx

edited to add -- Hirt's is also selling it. Same question as with BloomingBulb -- no way to tell if it's true to label!

https://hirts.com/tie-dye-clematis-large-6-flowers-dark-purple-silver-streaks-2-5-pot/

Thanks for checking. I guess I will wait until I can find it from a reliable vendor. I know Brushwood has it listed as out of stock, and Sonsparrow had it listed last year but not this year. I prefer to spend my gardening budget at nurseries who do their best to supply well grown, true to name plants.

Yeah, that is the smartest thing to do. Unfortunately, I'm often a sucker for a bargain. ;-)

Hey -- Have you seen Galaxy at Brushwood? They don't even have it listed in their A-Z index, but I found it when I was looking at Tie-Dye. Same pattern as Tie-Dye but larger, and they claim to have it in stock!

https://www.brushwoodnursery.com/products/clematis-galaxy

Yes I have seen Galaxy at BW. I can't off the top of my head remember whether I ended up ordering it. I like the looks, but it's a type 2, and I prefer both the timing and the growth pattern of type 1 and type 3 plants.

Yeah, but variegated flowers! ;-)

Something's wrong with their D-G page. It's only showing ONE plant for the whole section -- but if you search by specific name (like Daniel Deronda, florida sieboldiana, and so on) you can still get their pages. Phooey.

I sent them a message about the problem so hopefully it will get fixed soon.