I bought a clematis named Summer Sunset but I cannot find any reference to it anywhere. Has anyone heard of or grow this cultivar? It was a commercially purchased plant but unfortunately the label has faded too much to see the name of the grower that propagated it and I don't have a record of where I purchased it. The name is still on the label and it says it's a viticella hybrid but I'm not sure about that, it seems a bit large for a viticella. Here is a picture that is pretty close in colour to the actual flower.

COTW (Clematis on the Web) doesn't have anything listed for "Summer Sunset" or anything resembling that bloom under any name including "summer" or "sunset." Darn!

I've searched everywhere I can think of and found nothing so I think it was probably an unregistered cultivar of their own. It's a shame really as it is a very good growing plant with lots of good size flowers on it. I know there are a lot of purple coloured viticella varieties out there but this one blooms earlier and longer and with larger flowers than most of the other viticella types I have.

And it's such a gorgeous, deep purple!

Very pretty color as it appears to be darker towards the middle and then a lighter shade on the tips.

I think I've seen a clematis like that. Now to remember what site I was on.

I keep thinking that viticella 'Etoile Violette' might be your plant, Brian. I keep seeing it elsewhere, and for some reason it clicks with me.

Chelle that certainly could be it. I've been looking around on the web at various pictures of viticella 'Etoile Violette' and have seen some that look very similar. I guess I'll never know for certain. It doesn't matter though as I really like the clematis and I'll just call it my mystery clem.

There is one online store that has renamed all the clems...I guess that would have come up with a search