Plant · P-1055

Old Mans Beard

Clematis drummondii

A fast-growing deciduous vine that scrambles or climbs over shrubs, fences and other vegetation using twining leaf stalks rather than tendrils, typically reaching about fifteen feet. Clusters of small, petal-less, greenish-white flowers open over a long season from spring into fall, followed by feathery, silvery seed heads that persist into winter and give the plant its common name. It serves as a larval host for the Fatal Metalmark butterfly, and its dense tangled growth and seed clusters provide cover and food for birds through the colder months.