Old Man's Beard Clematis
Clematis drummondii
The feathery 'beard' consists of elongated, plumose styles attached to the seeds, which help them catch the wind to disperse over long distances.
- Scientific name
- Clematis drummondii
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Ranunculales › Ranunculaceae › Clematis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- desert
- Habitat
- Desert scrub, chaparral, dry grasslands, and riparian corridors.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- Range
- Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Northern Mexico
- Size
- Climbing vine reaching 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 feet) in length
- Lifespan
- 10-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction, severe prolonged drought, and invasive grass fires.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to look at, but defensive if handled. The sap contains protoanemonin, which can cause skin irritation or blistering. Maintain a safe distance of a few feet to admire its silky seed heads. If sap contacts skin, wash immediately with soap and water. Do not ingest any part of the plant; if consumed, seek medical attention.
Clematis drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that is native to the Southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and northern Mexico. Common names include old man's beard , Texas virgin's bower, and barba de chivato . It is a white-flowered vine that can be found clambering among other wildflowers, on shrubs and on fence rows. The natural habitat of C. drummondii includes the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts as well as...
Photo: Alexis López Hernández, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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