Try Cezanne very lovely!

They all have some pink in them. They are all blueish lavender rather than true blue.

If you need absolutely true blue plant Heavenly Blue morning glories. There is no Clemmie that color.

BoS is right, but how about: Will Goodwin, Mrs. Cholmondeley (pronounced "Chumley"-- mine is very bluish), H.F. Young? Gary

I'm wondering if our different soils, planting situations & conditions as well as mighty sun (zone diffs) has a great deal to do with the produced colors. I've looked at pictures of different Clems as I contemplate on what to add to wish list ~ not attempting to be a collector ~ I'm prep'd to be surprised, disappointed & anything in between.

Even my few roses & hydrangeas ~ even humble Columbines, seen to show some nuances from season to season etc ~ just happy when they perform beautifully.

FWIW ~ Am a perennial novice!

So am I, ditas: proud holder of little islands of knowledge in the great ocean of the unknown. I think there is variability of color due to environmental factors, and I also think that color is hard to reproduce accurately in photos, and I don't believe that what I see gets close enough to be relied upon when I attempt careful color planning in the garden.
Back to 'Blue Angel': okay, I won't find a true blue clematis (I wasn't actually expecting to), but is there one a little closer to it than this variety? Does anyone have it and also other kinds in the same general color range or slightly darker, so that they can make a comparison? I'm thinking of kinds that Gary mentions: 'Will Goodwin' and 'H.F. Young'. That's what I was wanting to know. Ditas, Buyorsell, Gary, thanks for the responses.
Melissa

You're very welcome, Melissa. This is great fun. Gary

Yes, sun, soil, climate, geography all play a part but Clematis don't change as radically as Hydrangeas do for example. Hydrangeas are rather unique in their color changes because of soil ph.

True blue Clemmies seen in photos are because of the film/media. There is great variance in how monitors show color as well.

I have Prince Charles, Betty Corning, Cezanne, Juuli, Arabella, Ramona, Durandii and Crystal Fountain all of which are light "blue" I can't compare to Blue Angel because I don't have her.

I don't grow Blue Angel, so I can't compare it, but Clematis on the Web does state this "The flowers have a distinctly pink cast in some (especially evening) lights." I do grow both Emilia Plater and Prince Charles, both of which might be more of the color you are looking for (I would call it a violet blue). In my hot and humid garden, they are quite similar in color and don't show any pink coloration at all, but I do not know if the color would be exactly the same in your garden. For me, Emilia Plater is much more vigorous and blooms more. I am putting in the link for Clematis on the Web, but I find their photos of both Emilia Plater and Prince Charles to be less blue than the look in my garden.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Angel at Clematis on the Web

plantloverkat, that's a great site! Thanks for bringing it too my attention!
Hmmm, all these clematis that you folks have mentioned look like they have at least a littlest bit of pink to them, judging by the convincing photos on Clematis on the Web. The pink in my 'Blue Angel' certainly isn't emphatic, but the yellow-green of the thuja brings it right out and forces it on one's attention. I think 'H.F. Young' might be worth a try. I'm reluctant to give up my scheme, and can't think of a better color to substitute in the context. Thanks to you all for the input.
Melissa

I've been eying 'crystal fountain' Clematis. That might be closer to what your looking for. It's REALLY pretty, but might be new and hard to get hold of. Couldn't tell you if its patented or not.

'Crystal Fountain' is not new and widely available.
It is not blue, it is lavender.

BorS is absolutely right - all so called blue Clematis have purple/lilac/rosy shades.

The closest to blue in my garden (still lilac, not true blue) is Ekstra. Really like this one with its ruffled petals.

My 'Crystal Fountain' is in bloom now and it is more pinkish than several others. It is really pretty.

Perle d' Azur ?

Here is a link that might be useful: Perle d'Azur

This is an old thread with a photo of several different varieties all together and labeled. Very useful comparison (thanks, flowerfan2!)

Here is a link that might be useful: blue flower thread with flower fan's photo

Some pictures for comparison:
Fujimusume. IMO the best light blue
{{gwi:592856}}
Will Goodwin
{{gwi:592857}}
H.F.Young
{{gwi:592858}}
Ice Maiden
{{gwi:592859}}
The First Lady(Mrs. Barbara Bush?)
{{gwi:592860}}
Blue Light
{{gwi:592861}}
Multi Blue
{{gwi:592862}}
Daniel Deronda
{{gwi:592863}}
Mrs. Cholmondeley
{{gwi:592864}}
Mazury
{{gwi:592865}}
Fryderyk Chopin
{{gwi:592866}}
Durandii
{{gwi:592867}}
Kiri te Kanawa
{{gwi:592868}}
Jackmanii
{{gwi:592869}}
Lasurstern
{{gwi:592870}}

Who knows if our monitors are showing the same colors, but going by my experience, Prince Charles is not blue at all. It is definitely a pastel lavender in my garden.

Jackmanii is intensely purple in my garden--sometimes with a slight hint of red violet in it.

My H.G. Young looks more like the Daniel Deronda shade in the picture above.

I would say that Durandii is the bluest shade--mine is a bit bluer than the picture above shows. Of course, it is a scrambler rather than a climber, but I have mine wrapped around a small decorative pillar, so it looks like it is a climber.

Last year I went on a search for a blue clematis. Like you are discovering, I found out there aren't any that are pure blue. There's usually a hint of pink or purple lurking in the background. But we can always hold out hope that a new variety will come along . . . . ????? LOL

Kate

It's not possible to say - this is the true colour of a given clematis variety. For me the best time to take pictures is early in the morning when the blue is more clean. In bright sunshine the purple appears much stronger.
Jackmanii at 6h:
{{gwi:592871}}
At noon the same day:
{{gwi:592873}}
The pictures are from last year

Just when I think I have too many clematis already, someone, Neptune44 this time, posts photos that make me want more!

Too many because several are waiting while I find places in the garden and make more supports.

While monitors may vary in color transmission, my H. F. Young appears very much as your photo shows, if perhaps a touch less red. It is indeed (in my garden, with an east exposure) very blue and one of my favorites.

Try Sho-un if you can find it-the best light blue I have seen.

I have a two year old Ice Blue clematis (Evipo003). It's not a real "true blue", but close. The blooms fade to nearly white. It's a Group 2 clem, and blooms like crazy. Here's a pic of mine:

This post was edited by lismari on Mon, Jun 2, 14 at 13:08

Here's a close up..(sorry I don't know how to post multiple pics in one message! duh!)

This post was edited by lismari on Mon, Jun 2, 14 at 13:20