Hoverfly, it does indeed sound as if you have some infestation on your clematis. The easiest way to treat it if it is fungus or mildew is to get a combo fungicide/mildewicide from your local nursery and spray the plant. You might want to see if you can find a light horticultural oil that is described as being safe for application in the warm weather. Taking a leaf to one of your local nurseries when you go to get the spray may be helpful because they might be able to properly identify your problem and suggest the appropriate remedy. Identifying the specific culprit is difficult via computer and verbal descriptions. The other thing to consider is that perhaps the fungal/mildew infection is secondary to something else that is going on with your clematis. Your description of the leaves yellowing and then turning brown might be the result of the fungal/mildew infection or it might be something entirely different. I know gardengal who lives in the PNW responded to a poster a while back who was losing leaves on an armandii and said that there was some infection that can affect the evergreen clematis specifically. I can't remember if it was a systemic fungus problem rather than a topical one like you describe or not. Maybe she will see this posting and chime in. I think the safest bet would be to first see if there is anyone at the nursery where you purchased the plants that can help diagnose your problem or perhaps even someone at the local Agricultural Extension Agency. It can't hurt to spray the plant as I outlined earlier but I would hate to be overlooking another more potentially serious problem that someone in your area might be able to diagnose. Good luck!

Fingers crossed that it's normal. I have some purple cayennes as well and the leaves tend to go purple so maybe white habanero is half a white plant :/ It's very hard to tell. I'll find out when the second habanero is old enough and if he doesn't turn the same color then maybe it's a nitrogen problem. I'll have to wait it out:) as long as it's not serious. Thanks guys

Yeah, I think they might have done better if we had planted them in the spring rather than the fall. We bought them really cheap at the end of the planting season around here, and they probably didn't have enough time for their roots to become established. I tugged at the leaves yesterday evening, and they didn't seem to want to come off. The branches look healthy and not dried out. I guess I will just have to see what happens. Maybe I'll give them another year, and if they look the same next spring I may need to re-think my hedge. Even with a mild winter, Winter Gem boxwood in Zone 5b might be pushing it. What kind of fertilizer does boxwood like? I have some 10-10-10 and some Holly Tone. Would either of these help them?

Dave. Hi.. This link should be of great help for in ground growing) http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-michelia-alba-104056.html Also Quoted from another member who is good at growing them in ground..Looks like you might have to add a little lime to your soil and use a good 10 10 10 fertilizer...Also I would make sure your ground is very well draining..I would stop using certain chemical since most fertilizers have the nutrients that a plant needs..If you starting adding this or that, too much of a good thing can cancel out another nutrient..For example, too much Mg can cancel out Ca..I would start with your pH and focus of the roots needs..That would mean a fast draining soil and to keep the roots warm if you live in an area like that...Then watch your watering and fertilize with something light.... "Now it is not the season for M. ALBA 's flowering in your zone. And it is not the fertilizing season either. We fertilize our M.ALBA in the end of Feb.or early March when it start to put out new leaves in Southern CA (outside the house). M. ALBA likes warm and humity environment. It likes weak acidc soil (say PH 6.2)and acidic water. It needs heavy fertilizer when it in growing and blooming season. I would suggest you to start fertilizing it when you can move it out of the house and it start to grow new leaves. Any balanced fertilizer will be fine for M. ALBA. I give them Fish Emulsion, 2 table spoon per galon and once a wk.In summer, twice a wk.MiraGrow is good too and it can decrease the ph of our hard water here. Now your M. ALBA stays in your house w/ less light. Just let it sleep which lots of the plants need it in the winter. During this time giving it less water (say once two wks thrououtly). Keep the humity high in the house is a good idea." Hope it's helpful!