Clematis Cassis

Last year I bought this as a bargain bucked find for a song. It took a bit of time before it got established as it looked more like a dead twigg than a healthy plant. After last winter it seems to have died down totally and is now resprouting from the ground. Is it supposed to do that? I thought it would produce new growth from the old branches.

It's a group 3 clematis like a viticella so it will shoot up from at or near ground level.   Normally I would prune this plant down to about 1 foot from the ground during winter.  I expect you will have lots of nice shoots sprouting now - putting some canes and string in for support, wires or somesuch will be necessary unless you have something else for it to grow through.

No that's fine Swedboy.

C. Cassis is hardy & mine is regrowing here in Manchester. I pruned mine back a while ago, but not right down to the ground as I have it growing up a samll obelisk en route to a bigger trellis on the fence behind.

As yours really died back then IME it's normal for it to restart from low down.

I investigated one of my other clematis yesterday. Had planted it into a bed from a large patio pot last Autumn & it didnt appear to be doing anything. BUT it's reshooting beneath the soil so as long as the slugs dont get it'll be fine. J.

Oh I didn't know that. It is next to a Montana which is sprouting from the stems. Hopefully it will flower this year. I'd trim off the dead shoots later this week.