lsmcw -- Thank you! It's a very pretty little tree. roseyp -- I'm with you, I'd like to have both. :) By the way, while at the refuge this weekend, saw the first early blooms of the rare Cahaba lily. They should be in full bloom in a couple of weeks. It will be my first time to view the masses of beautiful lilies and I can't wait!

The white flowered late blooming one is often referred to as "Traveller's Joy" for obvious reasons. It seeds around everywhere, even in Ontario. I have spent time in the Menton region, but never saw clematis in the wild there. I was a kid then though, and only remember the broom plants, wildflowers and some wild peonies. I do grow the viticella mentioned above, here near Guelph, but never saw it in Provence. Laurel shaped leaves are the sign of the evergreen clematis. Evergreen is a term I would use loosely though. They tend to turn brown in my experience. They do NOT grow in Ontario.

It is true that if you (a homeowner) puts down some wheat straw (that is what it is called, not sure if it is really wheat), some seeds germinate and send up some tall grass. This is an annual and will disappear after a time (especially once you start mowing). There is another thing ... when road work is done, the crews spread down a mat of pre-seeded "stuff" on slopes and that sprouts and grows like crazy. Hopefully that is a combination of fast growing "grass" and long term grass, but I don't know what it is. You might could call DOT or some county department of roads and ask them if it is edible (and I imagine they will say No for liability reasons) or at least ask them what kind of seed it is. Or you could look on the web and see if you find any definition of these products. See link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Section 716Erosion Control Mats (Slopes)

None of the ones you mentioned are species or wild clematis - all are hybrids, but they aren't the type 2 prune early, large-flowered clematis. All of them are type 3 with summer blooms, which are my favorites. My favorite clematis nursery is Brushwood. They have a wide range including true species and hybrids in all three prune type. I also have ordered from Hummingbird Farm, Silver Star Vinery, and Joy Creek Nursery and been quite pleased with the plants from all but Joy Creek, and that's only because the order hasn't arrived yet so I can't judge on Joy Creek at this point. Each nursery has different selections, so if there's a particular one you are looking for it pays to check them all. All of them have a good variety of ones in same groups as the ones you've listed above.