29 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in autumn, wildflowers
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.
I also relish the delicate vanilla fragrance of the plant’s spiky flowers.
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.
29 Tuesday Jan 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, wildflowers, winter
Tags
#365DaysWild, clematis vitalba, feathery seeds, Old Man's Beard, plant seeds, seeds, Traveller's joy
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.
22 Friday Sep 2017
Posted in flowers, nature, plants, wildflowers
Tags
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?
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.
08 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in nature, nature photography, plants
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.
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.
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!
earthstar 
You must be logged in to post a comment.