© Richard GallonSpecies Focus - Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba)
At this time of year one of our wild climbing plants puts on a fabulous wintery show. It’s not the flowers of Wild Clematis that catch the eye, unlike its garden relatives, but instead its fluffy white seed heads.
© Richard Gallon
This plant is often called Traveller's Joy – a name which few will relate to whilst negotiating travel plans over the festive period. So, instead, we’ll go with its other name Old Man's Beard with a nod to Father Christmas.
In our area Old Man's Beard is mainly found along the North Wales coast and has a particular fondness for inhabitating limestone regions and fixed sand dunes. If you see any Old Man's Beard (the plant, that is!) in North Wales please submit your records, preferably with photographs, to the LERC Wales App or the Cofnod ORS.
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