Thanks gardengal48. We're zone 6b in Indiana. I thought about the exposure, but the marigolds to the left and right of the plants (not really visible in the picture) are nearly two feet tall (they're called Cracker Joe and are huge) and provide a good bit of shade. What you've described doesn't jibe with anything that JP has on their website (they say zones 6-9, 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide), Of course, I'm not saying you're wrong or that they are incapable of providing incorrect info, but none of that seems to me to be capable of causing it to brown up and not grow. It came to me in a pot, and I put it a little deeper than it was planted in the pot, per the instructions and other websites I've visited. I've watered when needed and haven't fertilized other than what was in the potting mix. I wonder if I just got a bum plant. Thanks again for weighing in.

rob, I can't tell you why the Appleblossom is failing.....it could very well be that you did receive a "bum" plant :-) It happens.

But I can relay my experience with Clematis armandii and it is pretty extensive. I've grown it several time myself in different gardens and it is easily the most popular variety of clematis in my area as once planted, it requires virtually no attention. Wilt proof, deer proof, very drought tolerant once established and requires no annual pruning. In fact, it is used frequently in commercial applications.....which is something you never see with any other types of clematis!! A bank nearby has them growing on a trellis system that screens the end of their parking lot. A supermarket by my old house had a similar application surrounding their entire parking lot.

And the J&P info is suspect at best. Virtually any other reputable clematis source you will find will state a minimum zone 7 hardiness....some even refine that to zone 7b. The evergreen foliage is susceptible to winter cold damage, especially from winds. Even in my very mild location, it can experience winter burn during Arctic blasts. And it blooms in winter - February/March - so emerging flower buds can be especially vulnerable to late frosts.

The 25' size is also conservative :-) It can and does get much larger than that....it is a massive vine!! In my current garden, we recently had to cut down an armandii that had grown to the top of a 40' horsechestnut and was smothering the tree!! The debris filled an entire landscaping truck!

I guess the point I was trying to make is that regardless of the current state of your vine, this is not the best choice for you or the locaton in which you planted it. I would certainly exercise any guarantee feature that J&P offers and get it replaced. But please, pick out another clematis that will better suit both your location and the planting space you intend for it.

Your point is very well taken, gardengal48. Thanks for the detailed information, which admittedly I did not know. One would think that a truth in labeling law would apply to online garden retailers. :(. My wife and I discussed it last night and we've come to the conclusion that we will give it another couple of weeks and if we haven't seen improvement we will likely just rip it out of the container and leave the Avant Garde in by itself. I also will be contacting JP to exercise the warranty claim. Again, thanks for sharing your experiences with me. It has been very helpful and informative.

Clematis are one of my gardening passions :-) I have grown many dfferent types personally - had more than 60 vines in my old garden - and even worked for a major clematis wholesale grower for a few years. There is a clematis suitable for just about any garden and for just about any situation......Appleblossom is just not the best choice for you.

And with any plant, do your research before you buy!! And check multiple sources. Retailers are never very good for accurate data - they are just in the business of selling plants and tend to be overly general/conservative in any of the info they provide.

One of my favorite sources for clematis info is Clematis on the Web.