Climbing plants

08 Sunday Sep 2024

Posted by sconzani in plants, wildflowers

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bramble, British wildflowers, climbing plants, Field bindweed, Hedge bindweed, Honeysuckle, ivy, Meadow vetchling, Old Man's Beard

Last week’s challenge for Wildflower Hour on social media was to find climbing plants that were in bloom, and there were lots of wonderful examples of flora with a penchant for climbing. These are some I’ve found locally that are still in flower …

240908 bindweed hedge and field

The bindweeds – these are Hedge bindweed (top) and Field bindweed (below).

240908 ivy bramble

Ivy (it’s only just coming into flower in my area so this was difficult to find) and Bramble (most plants are now covered in delicious berries but I found a couple in bloom).

240908 old mans beard honeysuckle

Old man’s beard (also known as Traveller’s joy) and Honeysuckle.

240908 vetches

The vetches: Tufted vetch and Meadow vetchling (most of the vetches have now finished flowering).

240908 x how they climb

How plants climb:
The twisters: plants like Old man’s beard and Honeysuckle, and the various species of vetch, all twist themselves around other plants to gain support and climb upwards.
The grappler: think of those thorns on Bramble and the many rose species, used like grappling hooks to grab on to anything that will support them.
The clinger: Ivy is a good example of this, producing roots along its stem that help it cling to other plants, as well as to wooden posts, and brick and stone buildings.

334/366 From flower to seed

29 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by sconzani in autumn, wildflowers

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British wildflowers, clematis vitalba, Old Man's Beard, seedheads, Traveller's joy

The seedheads of Old-man’s-beard – or perhaps you prefer to call it Traveller’s-joy – the native British Clematis vitalba, are a feathery delight, and I can rarely refrain from taking photos of them.

201129 old mans beard (3)

I also relish the delicate vanilla fragrance of the plant’s spiky flowers.

201129 old mans beard (1)

So, imagine my delight during today’s walk when I found both flowers and seedheads on the same plant. Spring and autumn, scent and seeds – a delicious, if slightly strange combination.

201129 old mans beard (2)

29/365 Old men’s damp beards

29 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, wildflowers, winter

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#365DaysWild, clematis vitalba, feathery seeds, Old Man's Beard, plant seeds, seeds, Traveller's joy

190129 old man's beard

This is Clematis vitalba, commonly known as Traveller’s joy though, at this time of year, when its feathery seeds festoon hedgerows, clamber over fences, and bedeck stone walls, I think its other common name of Old man’s beard is more apt. Today, the Old men’s beards were looking a little damp and they’ll now be completely sodden – I managed a walk early this morning before the heavy rain came in.

Traveller’s joy

22 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in flowers, nature, plants, wildflowers

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biological recording, clematis vitalba, Old Man's Beard, SEWBReC, species of the month, Traveller's joy

The joy of this plant is that you see it wherever you travel in Britain. See what I did there?

170922 Travellers joy (1)

Clematis vitalba is most commonly called Traveller’s-joy but you might also know it as Old-man’s-beard, Father Christmas, Smokewood or Woodbine. Its feathery white seed heads are its most distinctive feature, making it easy to recognise and identify, and this really is a plant that you’ll see draped over hedges and fences almost everywhere in Britain.

Yet SEWBReC, the South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, have revealed that Traveller’s-joy is not well recorded: they have less than 2000 records in their database. And so they have made this plant their species of the month for September. If you spot Traveller’s-joy this month (or next, or the month after), please make a point of recording it with your local records centre – almost every county in Britain has its own records centre where you can log your biological sightings and those of you based in south-east Wales can find out more about biological recording, and the species of the month, on SEWBReC’s website.

170922 Travellers joy (2)

Old Man’s Beard

08 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by sconzani in nature, nature photography, plants

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clematis vitalba, Old Man's Beard, seeds, Traveller's joy, winter garden

If I were still living in New Zealand, I would be horrified to see this plant, Clematis vitalba. It’s a British native that was introduced as a garden plant but it very quickly escaped into forest areas where, in the temperate climate, its vigorous growth quickly smothers native plants. Unsurprisingly, it has been outlawed and is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord.

160108 clematis vitalba old mans beard (1)

Here in Britain, though, I can enjoy the silky plumed seed heads that make such a pretty show at this time of year. It’s easy to see how they led to its common name of Old Man’s Beard, but this clematis has many other vernacular names, including traveller’s joy, virgin’s bower, ladies’ bower, love vine, and traveller’s ivy. In the south-east of England it is also known as Boy’s Bacca and Shepherd’s Delight because poorer country folk once used the dry stems as a tobacco substitute.

160108 clematis vitalba old mans beard (2)

In France, its common name is herbe aux gueux, the beggar’s herb because, in times past, beggars would make use of its toxic sap to purposefully irritate their skin in order to provoke sympathetic donations from passers by. All parts of this clematis are poisonous so look but don’t touch!