These are some of my favorites, though in my zone I have to check hardiness. Mine aren’t blooming yet, but I will rummage around to see what images I can find from past seasons. Most of mine are of mixed parentage.

Babs, you should be able to grow almost all the species. I've known gardeners in New England in colder zones that grew many of the southeastern natives.

There were a few sources over the years. The problem is many growers don't want to bother. Brushwood used to offer a number of native species. Joy Creek Nursery may have some, and Plant Delights.

The good news is that it's easy to grow from seed. The seeds do not need stratification, so no cold treatment. I soak seeds for about 3 days, but change the water several times, then peel off the pericarp, then place seeds in moist paper towel in ziplock bags at room temperature. They germinate fairly quickly via that method. I then sow them in small pots and enclose the pots in a ziplock bag in the house which makes it like a mini-greenhouse for the seeds to grow into seedlings which is usually during winter. Now there are seedlings popping up in many parts of my garden. I've been here for ten years now.

I do grow some large flowered hybrids and have left some of the viorna run up the same trellis as companion plants.

Thank you! I did see some sellers selling seeds, but wasn’t sure about the success rate growing from seed.

Some favorites are the three forms of Clematis carrizoensis. Flowers can be very pale or lavender .

Wood County TX form.

Pale form

A different bicolor flower than Wood County form.

Carol, I thought viorna was just one species. You mentioned it's ua group. Where would I find information about different members of this group? I ran into a C. viorna for the first time a few days ago. That's a lovely collection you have there!

Jay, the genus Clematis is subdivided into Viorna, Atragene , Clematis and Viticella.

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=107312

The species viorna is native here as well. I've seen in locally on a property by the river as well as in the higher elevations near the Parkway. Carrizoensis is not yet listed on the FNA page. Clematis vinacea is also another more recently named species.

Yes, Carol a lovely grouping. I may try to reaccquire texensis and pitcheri next year, I think I'm going to remain here for years, and I think the beds are mature and less buying needed. So, some collecting can occur ;)

Thanks for the information Carol! Now that I've come across one in the wild I'm thinking about starting a similar collection myself.