I posted this on the plant id forum, but it looks a bit like a clematis. The leaves are very leathery -- almost like bay leaves. Here's the link, where there are more photos.
Can you please let me know if this is a clematis?
happy_macomb, I'm no expert but it does look like Clematis armandii Snowdrift which is an evergreen clematis. The leaves are little more leathery than others. Nice photo! Any one have a different opinion?
That's what jnana said -- and the photos look right, except the one I spotted has slightly rounder petals, so I'm guessing it is a cultivar. Thank you so much! Now I know how to try to root it!
The photos of Snowdrift that I could find have fairly narrow petals, and 4 petals per flower. How about this: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/187892/ ? Clematis "Pixie." Only problem -- it is only hardy to 7b, and we are 7a at best; this looked like a well-established plant.
One more thing: I want to root cuttings. Do I follow the same procedure for rooting this early flowering clematis as I would for any other clematis, or are the special rules to follow?
Uh oh. It looks as if armandii is difficult to root: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8613