My guess is etoile violette or maybe polish spirit? I think it looks great! Im sure someone will know for sure tho. Maybe its a blessing in disguise, id be very happy if that clem was in my garden!

Aside from the fact that I was planning for deep reds in this spot, I quite like it. I've never had a clematis like that bloom so heavily at this time of the year. I hope it doesn't bloom itself to death! If it's this vigorous next year, it should be pretty impressive - although I could do without the powdery mildew... :-)

I have both Etoile Violette and Polish Spirit. They look very similar. Both get mildew. Polish Spirit blooms far longer for me. It is still blooming now. Etoile Violette has been done for months.

I do have one that is supposed to be Polish Spirit elsewhere in the garden. It's not blooming now and hasn't ever bloomed this vigorously - but, on the other hand, I've always had my doubts whether that plant actually is Polish Spirit! So maybe this one is Polish Spirit and I need to figure out what the other one is. I swear that the majority of the clematises I buy are something other than the label says! I had to buy three 'Huldine' before I got one that bloomed white...

It looks like Polish Spirit to me. Polish Spirit has deep red anthers whereas Etoile Violette has more pronounced creamy white stamens. The blossom on Polish Spirit also seems a bit looser than those of Etoile Violette.

My very young Polish Spirit has been in bloom since early August, throwing a few blossoms even now.

{{gwi:625527}}
Sept. 30, 2010

Just recently planted Etoile Violette on one side of my new deck.

When buying I try to find a blooming clematis as have also found them to be mislabeled way too often.

I do try to buy in bloom now since I have had so many problems with the color being wrong - but I was buying a lot of clematises to plant on what used to be a rose swag, so I wanted to get them in the ground to get established as soon as possible. It just wasn't possible to get them all in bloom so I took my chances... Since I wanted the clematises to follow a color pattern, my dilemma next spring will be do I replace this one with another attempt to plant the red ones or do I leave it and live with a more mixed group of colors than I had planned? I suspect I'll end up being lazy and just leave it be :-)

I sometimes buy nonlabeled clems if they are an exceptional sale, got some last fall for $1 each. My friends were happy to take the ones I didn't want to keep. The clems I bought this year were in bloom in the spring and held over until I could plant them along my deck this fall.

Even seeing them in bloom doesn't always work as my Comtesse de Buchard was a lovely pink in the pot but is a muddy mauve in the ground. :(

I also moved a couple from the fence that didn't "fit". Some for color and some for size of bloom. No hurry to make changes if you are willing to live with it a year or two and see if you like it.