Are the leaf buds and tips sort of glued together? It looks a bit like the damage I get when leaf roller/leaf tier caterpillars are chewing on the buds, but the leaves and buds would be glued/tied together by the caterpillar if that were the case.

Hi NH Babs,

Thank you always for your reply. I just now checked again -- and no, it doesn't quite look like glued together. It looks as if the leaf buds/tips had gotten some tar on them and those parts of the tips had had dried up along with the tar (eta: not actual tar, no liquid kinda thing, it just looks that way). I took some more pics.

Thought I should update -- those guys are now like "Tar? What tar?" So... I still don't know what black stuff on the leaf buds and tips was, but apparently it was nothing to worry about... if anyone else gets the same thing.

(p.s., Thank you again, NHBabs).

Wow !!! What is it paired with? Looks fantastic

It's Jackmanii (Jackmanii Superba... though I'm not entirely sure exactly how it differs from just Jackmanii) paired with John Huxtable. They are in their second year in the ground... vigorous guys :)

Lovely! and thanks for the update.

Beautiful 'eri'. When a clematis performs like I see with yours it is the Belle of the Ball...I mean garden ;).