It has always been a strong survivor in my garden. It never gets fertilized and never gets watered in the summer and has never missed a beat even after two summers of drought. I would give the plants more time since it still is relatively early in the season, especially for you in zone 5a. If the plants that you got last fall were relatively small, they could have perished over the winter, but I would take a wait and see attitude at this point.

Thank you Nckvilledudes,
I would say the vines on the plant were fairly small. They have plenty of seeds on them though.

Stephanie Kay

Sweet Autumn Clematis are beautiful to look at & wonderful to smell, but realize that you're going to have volunteers everywhere if you don't prune it all before it goes to seed. It's very invasive! They also get very large (20-30')

I love my sweet autumn which is in part shade and has never given any volunteers. It also grows less than 15 feet. I used to grow two on opposite sides of a trellis across my compost pile, unfortunately one died. The white pine grew so large it completely shaded out the one clematis.

I SEE SOME LIFE!
Just checked today and I see some life growing on one of them. Fingers crossed for the other one.
I am thinking of planting this beneath my tree and letting it grow up it. It is more of a bush tree ( a tree that was cut down many years ago and then branched.) If it were to reseed, the seedlings would be mowed down every week.
Schifferle, do you cut yours back every year or during in the fall? I would like to keep it around 20 feet.

Mnwsgal, I am wondering if yours grow shorter because you are in zone 4 and Schifferle is in zone 5. It would be wonderful if mine stay only at 15 feet, or no more then 20 feet.

Stephanie

If you don't trim this type III clematis back each year, the lower branches will get woody and be devoid of any leaves. It flowers on new wood so needs to be trimmed back each winter or the flowers will be further and further away from the ground level.

I'm basing what I say from others that I know that have it taking over their yards. That's why I've steared clear of it. Invasive, I don't need, so unfortunately I can't be of help from personal experience. Some are lucky that it hasn't been invasive & love it, but that's not always the case. Like nckvilledudes says, you have to trim type III clematis back each year (around Feb/Mar). It then blooms in late summer into fall and you must try to dead head all the spent flowers and then pray. If it isn't invasive for you, then count your blessings and enjoy. Some aren't so lucky and find it a huge headache not worth how pretty it is to look at and smell.

It can easily take a yard over Schifferle. That is why I cut the plant back by half as flowering nears an end. I used to just take head clippers and try to remove the fading flowers but still ended up with volunteers where I least expected them. Cutting the plant back by half definitely removes all the potentially developing seeds. The only reason I have not removed mine from the garden is that I have learned how to control the reseeding aspect of the plant and it is totally carefree for me. As far as I am concerned this is one of the last clematis that I would plant now knowing what I do about clematis. To me, there are many other clematis that are much more desirable and since you can't be guaranteed of it having any scent if it was seed grown, why bother with it when there are other fragrant clematis such as triternata rubromarginata and Betty Corning that do have a fragrance and are not invasive at all (Betty Corning won't set seed unless you pollinate it with pollen from another clematis that does have viable pollen.).

nckvilledudes, You reminded me of two favorite clematis of mine, triternata rubromarginata and Betty Corning. Betty is apparently going to be fine, but we had such a soggy summer in NE Kansas last year that my beautiful triternata rubromarginata died on me. The extra drainage we gave it that this type of clematis I was told needed wasn't enough. In normal summers we need to water a lot. I'll have to see if I can find a better spot for it and maybe try again. It's so unique looking.

Funny Schifferle, I had two triternata rubromarginata plants. One was a large one that was planted by mistake somewhere that I did not mean to plant it--somehow those pesky labels got switched. Anyway, mine died two summers ago when we were in a drought situation. It was watered via a soaker hose and all the surrounding ones did just fine but TRM just browned out after blooming and never returned. I had heard that this plant was persnickety about drainage but in the middle of a drought when it was only getting watered once a week and the others survived?? Go figure.

The other one was a very small plant that I got a couple of years ago from Digging Dog Nursery. I planted it at the base of a holly bush hoping that it would cover the holly but the thing has just done nothing for me at all. Don't know if it was too small of a plant in competition with too large of a bush and didn't get enough water/nutrients or what. It comes up every year, gets about 4 feet tall max, and never blooms. Again, go figure. Maybe one day I will get another plant and try it somewhere else.

Stephanie...first let me say that I noticed you have the same name I gave my daughter. : )
I have a sweet autumn planted in a raised flower bed that I have had for at least 3 years & can't kill the thing!I recently moved it to another location and it seems to be just as happy. At the end of summer I cut it down almost to ground level..never have fertized or given it any special care.Also...I dug up a piece of it & gave to a friend and that piece is doing good too.Good luck with yours...(love your name)

Nckvilledudes, you are way to harsh on the Sweet Autumn, I have had one for the past four or five years, I have to admit, it is a monster, but no seedlings, I cut it almost to the ground every spring. It has a great fragrance, I will attempt make another plant from it this spring.

MMD4, my reaction to SAC is based on my experience with the plant and its relative ease to set seed and become invasive in my garden and other places here near where I live. There is a stretch of road in nearby city where this plant has taken over large areas. I am happy for you that your plant is not invasive or doesn't set seedlings, but my experience, along with many others, says that it is a thug in some areas and therefore deserves the reputation I have given it. As with all plants, what one does in one garden may not be mirrored in another garden, but at least the information about its potential invasiveness needs to be out there so people can make an informed decision.