I have preference for vigorous tall going sorts ... if I had to choose just one, it would be the classy 'Ville de Lyon' (photo from the net) ..

'Jackmanii Superba', what can I say!

'Perle d'Azur', that HEIGHT and wonderful blue color! (photo from the net)

'Venosa Violacea' another gem and 'Blue Light' a remarkable outstanding double, 'Diamantina' more than a bit glorious as well, sooo many beauties and a myriad of newer varieties not yet available in Canada. :(

I think, I read that 'Arabella' has become the global best selling clematis.

How could I have forgotten about "Arabella" as I have more of this variety in my garden than another as it is so easy to find room room for it (I almost treat it as a ground cover). (Has anyone been able to find the white version??)

Montana, cirrhosa and any viticella. (I have Perle d'azure). Not wild about the big bloomers.

Both @FrozeBudd_z3/4 and @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK mention "Perle d'Azur". I did try it many years ago and it slowly left this world :(. I will give it another go.

For sure good choices @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9). (With a little extra protection I think I could reliably grow 'Sieboldi').

Have a couple of strong runners up as well :-))

Not allowed ;), at least not yet.

Ok, I have my three:

• Raindance
• Arabella
• ROGUCHI (vigorous and floriferous)

Hmm...a bit strange that all three choices are non vining.

Rouge, I again have florida 'Sieboldii' on order, having lost it several times for soil issues, the emerging stems of this clematis are finer and more prone to being damaged, at least when it comes to being burnt off by manure, lol. I must also again try with 'Princess Diana' ... 'Multi Blue' up and wilted while still in its pot, so another one of those ... 'Josephine' arrived mislabeled, shall try again, I understand is capable of flowering decent well when hard pruned ... another 'Blue Light' (this one is rather something else!) ... 'Amethyst Beauty' and Rosemoor' (a red that can obtain some height) ... Vancouver 'Blue Lion', a new double form for '26 ... and lastly, Passiflora 'Fata Confetto', a herbaceous kind to set against the south foundation wall, is worth the try!

I was about 12 years old when I became aware of the hardiness of large flowered clematis ... zone 3 sooo drastically limits the selection of hardy flowering vines and shrubby broadleaf evergreen beauties, that I pounced upon hardy clematis of many sorts, is truly of the most spectacular of cold hardy plants ... well, lilacs as well, but bloom period is all too brief!

I think I would include Rebecca clematis as a top 3 except that I have never got to survive past 2...maybe 3 seasons.

Just curious if anyone has a thriving Rebecca that is at least 5 years old?

Jackmanii Superba! I have one on either side of the front door. Gothic trellis. And...it comes back every year...7 years now. Z4, West facing. I'm also growing "Fireworks & Ville de lyon's". I found putting Gold Flame Honeysuckle with them helps to thicken up the whole display.

Hi Nicole, indeed you have the lovely 'Jackmanii Superba!" ... I had been searching for it for long years, but always it proving to be mislabeled, I did though come across a planting of many at a park where I took a few cuttings that had refused to take root ... then, in September stumbling across it at a nursery 30 mins away and snapped up two and soon one up and wilted, gggrrr, clematis can be so finicky!

A newer introduction I'd love to have is 'Grunwald', is available in the US, though apparently not yet in Canada, it's a glorious tall grower and free bloomer!

Seeing mention of "Jackmanii" brings to mind the oldest clematis we have in our garden is the single specimen "Polish Spirit". It is over 20 years established and has always been reliable i.e. healthy and floriferous. I kind of foregt about it as it has...just (almost) always been there.

Here's another one paired with my "Fairy" rose. I'll have to look up the label....it's a good contrast color...

Note: My 2 Ville De Lyons look like deep burgundy Niobe. Not a bad thing....they keep coming back.

Rouge, I've never grown 'Polish Spirit', though a friend has one that profusely flowers upon the entrance of his home.

Nicole, could that possibly be 'Hagley Hybrid' planted with 'The Fairy' rose? ... I love 'The Fairy' , such a bloom machine and so hardy, this year I'm gonna order 'Lovely Fairy' which is a sport of the original.

@FrozeBudd_z3/4....My clematis has the purple stamens...then a tuft of off white in the very center. ???

Here's a photo for comparison to 'Hagley Hybrid' ...

And a similar variety 'Pink Fantasy'... I have grown both and prefer 'PF'

My three favorites are 'Venosa Violacea', 'Betty Corning' and 'Juuli'

Second three 'Alionushka', 'Helsingborg', 'Harlow Carr' these six have been excellent performers even with the neglect of my garden the last ten years or so as I really spent a bunch more time with my horse.

Three that I love but don't currently have are 'Blue Light', 'Princess Kate' and florida 'Sieboldiana'

'Arabella' has been a struggle with mildew and never robust for me over ten years or so.

I N C R E D I B L E @sherrygirl zone5 N il!

Lol I love that almost everyone posting here has gone over the "only three" rule!

I have never really dove into the world of clematis. I don't know why - they always catch my eye and I always think about getting them.

I have a rooguchi that was given to me that I do love. It gets about 7 feet tall! (I thought it was only supposed to get 3 feet!)

Not in bloom here but I wanted to show it's vigor and height (photo from a few years back but she's like this every year)

I have a jackmanii and a Romantika, both impulse buys. I bought the Jackmanii to have another purple on the other side of the arbor from rooguchi. I thought it died so I bought a Romantika (the only purple at the nursery that day) and of course the Jackmanii comes back from the dead!

Jackmanii

Don't have many good photos of Romantika. It's not very robust and I will likely remove it when I get around to it.

:)

Dee

P.S. These are not necessarily the three I would *choose*. They're just the only three I have lol.

Buyorsell888 ... 'Venosa Violacea' is stellar, mine grows up a 'Yellow Ribbon' arborvitae to produce non stop blooms for months on end. 'Juuli of integrifolia type has striking large blue blooms.

Sherrygirl, wow, that 'Huldine' is some major vigorous!

Diggerdee, I don't know how anyone ever could have assigned that 3 ft height to 'Rooguchi' ... well, unless being grown in concrete soils! 'Romantika' certainly grows vigorously for me to least 9 or 10 ft tall and gets totally covered in blooms, mildew as well unfortunately! ... and another issue being that it needs to be paired with a lighter colored clematis OR set upon a light background otherwise the near black blooms create a dark void ... I have it planted at my front step and it just looks like a big black bear sitting there, thus intend to replace that location with another variety, though have a second plant I'll be keeping for at least the time being cause despite its drawbacks, it's still a beauty!