Has anyone grown \'serious black\' clematis with success?

It is Clematis recta Lime Close, Serious Black, Bush Clematis

I bought this plant in the fall of 2015. The root mass was nice and it had many shoots. Supposed to be hardy from zone 4-7.

I planted one in my zone 6 garden and my friend planted one in her zone 7 garden. Neither plant sprouted in the spring of 2016. No sign of life all season.

Wondering if anyone has had success with this plant ???