Clematis: wilt or just the result of too much rain?, 1 by jcoakley

jcoakley wrote:
A little background first: I am still a relative newbie and the clematis in question was one of the first things I planted when I started out 4 years ago. I bought it at HD end of season clearance (first mistake, probably) and stuck it in the ground against a piece of fencing with slats that were much too wide (altho I didn't know that at the time). It was labeled Jackmanii but I don't know if that was correct as it has never bloomed. However, I have managed not to kill it and this year with a new black aluminum trellis and much organic fertilizer it has grown and grown. No signs of bloom yet though, and the other day I noticed that some of the leaves are looking rusty. From what I read about clematis wilt, it is something that drought-weakened plants are susceptible to, and any of you also living in the midwest know that we have not had that problem lately! Plus nothing on this plant is turning shriveled and dying. So is it some other kind of fungus? Something I should prune off? Any advice is greatly welcomed and appreciated!