It is a non-climbing, 4 ft to 6 ft clematis, that can be successful in most any aspect (except deep shade). I have them all over. They take up very little room as they scramble/scrabble over and around, intermingling with other plants.

In an established garden one only sees the clematis flowers as the stems/vines are hidden amongst the existing plants. It blooms from June until Autumn.

Here is one of mine, poking in and around, a just now opening "Becky".

I highly recommend this clematis.

Good info campanula.

The only other "non-climbing" clematis we have is Inspiration. I like the colour but I dont find it nearly as floriferous as Arabella

I only have durandii which I grow the same way. It's fun to watch it emerge in the spring and at first grow upright until it just flops over and disappears amongst the other plants. I don't even think about it until I see the flowers poking out through the other plants which it is now doing.

Kevin

Whereas with "Arabella" it starts out in the spring always on the ground and is forced to go up when it encounters other plants.

(I have always meant to get a durandi)

Unfortunately, the next year they were back to "same old, same old." Can't say I blame them...the good ones didn't seem to sell well.

Thanks for the link to 'Inspiration' - I think you just identified the clematis that used to grow into the big butterfly bush! It looks just like that.....

campanula - why do you so dislike the Group 2? I like them. Yeah, sometimes wilt happens but they seem to grow out of that in a year or two... The old stems etc. in winter don't bother me a bit - lots of stuff in the garden has foliage or stems hanging around in winter; that's normal so it just doesn't bother me enough to offset the positives of the plant in summer.

Sure would look nice mixed in with my fairy roses.

Off in search of some of these beauties.....

Thanks for sharing :)

Here is a picture I took this morning in a bit of a rough, unkempt area of the garden. You can see the flowers from an Arabella poking their way through a rose bush.

Silver Star Vinery carries it. I am not sure if she is still shipping for spring or you will have to wait for fall.
http://www.silverstarvinery.com/vines.asp?letter=A

Hummngbird Farm carries it, and I think they may still be shipping.
http://hummingbirdfarm.net/clematis.htm

I have ordered more than one clematis from all of these nurseries and have been very pleased with the quality.

IME the nurseries that specialize in clematis are most likely to have the widest variety of plants that are something other than early, large-flowered types.

To be honest I have no idea as it is so 'jungley' in that location it would be impossible to trace back the vine to the base. Having said that you cant go wrong planting it a few feet on the shade side of the rose and it no time it will weave its way to the front looking for that elusive sun.