clematis

I purchased 2 fairly expensive clematis plants in May, planted them on a trellis, they were both blooming profusely. They came attached to a small metal trellis and I put them next to the one I eventually wanted them to use. Went out the other day (after they were done blooming) and every single leave is gone off the jackanami (sp) and the other (can't remember name, pink) has most of them gone. I am blaming either bugs or rabbits, why not? My question, will these poor babies survive? I am sick, sick, sick. I am sure someone out there can clue me in. Very new gardner>

My guess would be deer since I have a feeling your plants are probably a bit too tall for bunnies to be able to reach all the leaves, but if they're still really tiny then rabbits could be possible as well. I don't think it's bugs unless it had been weeks since you last looked at the plant--they would take time to get the plant to that level of defoliation vs one night on the deer buffet could easily do it. The good news is I'd expect they should recover as long as they were healthy otherwise--but you may need to take some steps to keep the critter from coming back and eating new leaves that may come out...if they keep defoliating the plant repeatedly that will definitely not be good for it.

Definately not deer. Live in the middle of town, when this happend, they were low to ground, attached to that darn metal trellis they came with (I couldn't get them off without damaging the main stem), now they are off and up on the trellis I purchased for them. I have several baby bunnies hanging around and wonder if it can be them.

If they're low enough to the ground it could be rabbits...when you talked about them being on trellises I was picturing something that would have been too tall for rabbits to get at all the leaves. Don't count on being in the middle of town saving you from having deer though--deer are pretty much everywhere.

I also live in the middle of town, one block from a very busy Main Street. There are deer all over town eating from the banquet we gardeners have provided. They particularly love my hollyhocks and lilies, and also the hosta. I have a lot of plants they don't like, (at least in my area, zone 5 Michigan) i.e. daisies, false sunflowers, flowering quince. They also won't eat herbs. I have spearmint, oregano, and sage that the deer didn't eat. My understanding is, if they are hungry enough, they will eat anything.

I'm out in the couintry and have 3 lil wiener dogs that seem to keep the deer at bay...I love clemati? clematises? and have a magic fountain that has established well; then just 5 feet away I have not been able to get a variety of them to live more than a year...even a magic fountain I planted at the same time as the other. I planted a fushia-colored clem last year that did climb and bloom this year...maybe it's a keeper.
I never know what is going to happen....

bubbles - can you post photos of the clematises?

Do you know which ones you had and lost? You're in zone 3b which strikes me as probably a little cold for many of them so if they're not coming back for a 2nd year it could be a hardiness issue.

Been gone a long time. Just a post note, I live in zone 4 and both were marked for this zone. Am not concerned on that issue. However, I have been watering them faithfully and both have now got new leaves and the jackamani has several flower buds, so I am very happy. Thanks to all for your posts, I really enjoy reading all the info here!!