It was developed by Walters Gardens so IS available in the US. Can be located via various online retailers but a larger/better selection may be available in late winter or early spring. Several vendors are showing 'sold out'.

I have found this is a bad time to order clematis as all vendors are mostly sold out. I am happy to hear it is offered in the US and will check out vendors - do you know any ones that might offer it? It isnt listed on Clematis On The Web so might be very new. Thanks!

Rouge, that is rather spectacular, mine sulks in comparison and discovered the reason being is the roots had been bundled in a tight ball when planted, which had killed about 1/3 of them. Now, it's been repotted with roots all nicely separated and given a good fertilizing and will be much more happy!

UPDATE (late September 2021):

This same potted clematis has continued to be healthy and floriferous all season in this its first year. (Fingers crossed that it will survive the winter in this container).

Hi @rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) , did your Rain Dance make it through the winter? It’s very beautiful and I am considering adding one to my garden. Thanks! :-)

@lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan...what a coincidence you ask this Q as it reminded me to check the container. Because of a lack of room in our garage I decided last November to leave it outdoors all winter. I did position it in a more sheltered area of our garden but even so; and we had a very wintry winter. About 3 weeks ago I moved it to a sunny warm area of the south facing deck but I did nothing else i.e. remove all the leaf mulch I had covered it with last Fall.

So given your question I went outside and removed all the leaf mulch. I don't see any sign of growth but I am not worried...yet ;).

(*If* by chance it hasn't survived the winter in the container :( I will definitely get another one as my experience with it in just its first season was nothing but positive.)

Thanks for the update, @rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)! Yours is very beautiful and it seemed to be in bloom for several months last year, wow! I’m trying to find a gallon size on-line, but can only find one at Sooner Farm for $55, with $20 shipping, unless I spend $150 and then shipping will be free. But do I need to spend $150? I already have three other clemmies on order from Brushwood. Decisions, decisions!

You don't think you could source this clematis locally?

Not sure. The nurseries near me don’t seem to carry a huge variety of clems. I see Jackmanii Superba and Sweet Autumn clematis everywhere, but I have the first one and don’t want the second. I’ll keep my eyes peeled though…right now I’m feeling too cheap to spend Sooner Farm kind of money….but maybe as the season progresses I’ll become more desperate!

WHERE CAN I BUY THIS CLEMATIS

In the Country has it for this upcoming year. https://shop.inthecountrygardenandgifts.com/collections/sun-perennials

As the one in the container from 2021 didnt survive the winter I purchased another and put it in the ground. It under performed as compared to last year's potted edition.....I was surprised..

Mine is now already almost chest height and likely to be at least 5' when it tops out, really should have pinched it at 1 ft tall to encourage branching and more compactness, for sure will do so next year! Have seven of these beauties, cuttings taken last June were nicely rooting in five or six weeks time.

really should have pinched it at 1 ft tall to encourage branching and more compactness,

Rabbit(s) did this to mine about a month ago but clearly they cant measure at they cut it off at maybe 6" :(.

Am sure yours has branched out nicely with the unintended nipping.

This clematis has great flower power ability and awesome blue color!

Just bought two 1 gallon pots for $22.99 each…I think shipping was $12 for the two of them, so $6 each…not too bad. Very excited to receive these, they’ll be going in containers.

https://www.newblooms.com/products/clematis-rain-dance

Lovemycorgi, just look at this color! 'Juuli' is quite similar, though 'Rain Dance' is more floriferous with smaller fuller blooms that often have five petals. 'Arabella' is a gem that's for sure, though 'Blue River' (Blah River) too pale and gappy for my liking, I've ripped it out and it's determined to keep growing back!

My clems arrived from ”New Blooms” today in excellent condition!!

Yes, very nice plants and already I spy a bud or two! :)

First bloom of the season has opened, plant is soooo tall at 5 1/2 ft, certainly more than I was expecting and hoping for!

How exciting, @FrozeBudd_z3/4! Can you please post pics when it’s in full bloom? I’m super excited about this clem and have the two I just purchased planted in a prominent location.

I for sure shall do! :)

Think I'll now take some more cuttings of this clematis, the ones I had taken last year at this time had rooted rather quickly.

@FrozeBudd_z3/4, for propagation, do you use rooting hormone? If so, any specific brand? Thanks!

I just stuck them in something like ProMix, be careful of anything with additional fertilizers, I had used no rooting hormone and tented the cuttings with plastic and placed in the filtered light of a south facing window, but not where it might become hot. Now is the ideal time for cuttings to give them enough time to establish before autumn.

Its healthy, in flower but nothing too outstanding...yet?

I had intended to post photos, though the plant grew so tall above the support it kinda toppled over itself and not looking overly photogenic, next year I'll for sure give them a nip at about 1 ft tall to encourage branching and reduction of height, I certainly hadn't expected over 6 ft when 42 inch is the claimed height.

Your plant is looking good Rouge, next year it'll be at full glory! :)

Actually I posted a pic of my 'so so' RD to encourage you @FrozeBudd_z3/4, to put up pictures of yours! Hurry up!

Photo snapped about a week ago, just the upper portion of the 6' plant.

Really like 'Arabella' and picked up two more on Rona's 75% off, nice big plants that I realized where two plugs in each pot, carefully tickled them apart and now have four husky plants to set out! :)

Superb specimen @FrozeBudd_z3/4...well done. (WHen you have time could you post a pic of all 6 feet?)

Next year will be a 'Jackmanii Superba' or 'Tie Dye' backing it ... or some other!

You people are terrible enablers. I'm thinking this would look great in front of my bluebeard shrub (just have to make sure there's enough room)

Lovemycorgi, your plant is doing well, next year should be rather glorious! Yes, just like 'Arabella', 'Rain Dance' pumps out the blooms!

A2zmom, I'm sure there's enough room, lol :)

Rouge, we've since had a good deal of rough intense storms, the plant and many things are kinda beaten up.

Would like to purchase a Rain Dance but cant find a nursery that sells it except for New Blooms and they are sold out. Any suggestions? Thanks.....

Judith

Alameda -- Rain Dance Bush Clematis | Sooner Plant Farm

Their website says they have 13 in stock.

UPDATE July 2024:

Mine is better contained this year with the pruning of stems I did at about 15 inch height, it's soon ready to pop it's blooms at chin height. I didn't prune the one in the garden and it went above it's support and flopped over the heliopsis, should make a nice combo though.

We await your pictures @FrozeBudd_z3/4.

Mine are in containers and fared well over the winter; because of our mild winter/spring, I pulled them out of my garage early and they were in full bloom by early June. However, they’re developing new buds now, so it won’t be long until I’m enjoying their beauty once again!

They’re a bit taller than I thought they’d be, so the stems flopped over the top of my obelisks.

From June 8:

Lovemycorgi, yes, this plant is a great performer, though taller as well than I had anticipated for certain garden aspects, the nipping of stems at 15 inches or so helps with that. As well, I have plenty of 'Arabella', would be nice to come across the white form!

"Clematis 'White Arabella' is a very free-flowering plant with the first flush of flowers being semi-double and subsequent flowers being single. The flowers are of the purest white."

'Rain Dance' does grow a bit like on steroids and am having to rethink its placement about the place, having tall obelisks in the front of many of my beds just does not work ... but, dang, 'RD' sure does have beautiful quality blooms! Most now shall be dug and moved that they mingle and scramble upon the yellow cedars, shrubs and conifers, shall look fantastic!

Gorgeous picture @FrozeBudd_z3/4.

So when you move them they will be not supported in the new location and be allowed to scramble/scrabble..to wherever?

(When will you do these transplants?)

No supports, I'll just help guide the stems to and through the shrubs to let them do their thing, I have one upon a yellow cedar and another just planted next to a tight columnar white spruce, will look nice as well with 'Therese Bugnet' to help carry through when rose bloom has lagged. I am indeed doing plantings at this time, though the heat is much limiting my capacity.

Havent been psrt of this discussion but your talking about growing clems up conifers reminded me of something.. My friend grew a blue clem up a golden chamycyp. it was stunning but the needles blocked by the clematis foliage turned Brown. Dont know if they died but the tree didn't look good wiith ribbons of browning needles.

I did some more reading about clrms in conifers, i couldnt find any other reports about conifers being harmed. so i guess ’watchful waiting’. Is prudent.

FWIW @Marie Tulin, we have grown this Madame Julia Correvon clematis up our cedar hedge for many years w/o any "repercussions" to any of the cedars involved.

Good to know! is it in a pot ? if its in the ground its roots appear to compete successfully with the cedar’s.

my comment and the subsequent info gets me thinking about anecdotal vs evidenced based information. I saw one example of clem doing harm to an evergreen and started to extrapolate a generalization.

Do any of you follow ”The Garden Professors ” on facebook? (It is the only thing that entices me there. )

They are a group of US university extension professors who offer evidence based garden advice and debunk garden myths which are based on unproven /unsubstantiated claims.

In another post GardenGal said woodchips dont cause depletion of soil nutrients. The garden professors designed and conducted experiments which showe wood chips do not affect soil that way.

some people hate their work but i dont understsnd why.

This clematis is definitely in ground :).

I planted this way back when I was in my "squeeze a clematis into every spare inch of space" phase.

Here it is, sandwiched between cedars and the deck railing:

This plant gets almost "zero" sun for the month of May and into June until it grows tall enough, reaching for the light. I admire its zest for life :).

Marie, thanks for mentioning of the damage having been done to your friends golden chamaecyparis, depending upon the species of shrub, casting a good deal of shade upon it can cause harm. Here's 'Rain Dance' I have just woven through 'Yellow Ribbon' upright arborvitae, 'RD' is too tall for the location and was going to remove it in favor of planting 'Arabella' .... well, now no need, instead 'RD' will be coaxed to weave itself through the cedar for a wonderful effect. I have four or five 'RD' most of I had started as cuttings two years ago and these will now be utilized all in a similar matter. Rouge, such as you are doing there, I'm also planting other large flowered clematis to scramble and ramble upon the cedars.