Clematis vitalba: Old man’s beard, traveller’s joy, virgin’s bower, ladies’ bower, love vine, traveller’s ivy.
When the feathery seeded player head ofClematis vitalbastart to come along in the hedgerows , one knows fall ca n’t be far away . Walking along the clifftops yesterday I remark this rampant climber stilt over railings and suffocate less vigorous neighbours . In folklore , sure-enough valet de chambre ’s beard ( as I choose to know it ) was associated with the Devil because it did his bid by trailing into other plant and choking them . In New Zealand , where old military man ’s beard has made itself a small too much at home , this is a trait that has fork up it ‘ clematis non grata ’ . On the other handClematis vitalbais also connected with the Virgin Mary and God because of the livid , feathery show of its come headway .
The relationship with garden clematis is cleared to see in the clinging stem , trifoliated leaves and simple flowers . The petals ( in reality sepal ) are shrunken and recurved making the central party boss of creamy stamens come out overstated . The lilliputian , almond - odoriferous blooming are the colour of Jersey ointment and borne in richness from July until September . They are followed by unripened germ heads ; softly hairy , pods thresh like a demented octopus . These apace fluff - up to produce the feathery blanched maze which accounts for the name previous human being ’s byssus .
Despite its enormous dynamism , Clematis vitalbadoes have a property in larger , wilder garden in the UK . The plant favour an alkaline soil ( hence the proliferation along our chalk drop and railway embankment ) and a moist clime . If you could pop the question both then be sure you have room for a climber that can extend over 50 ft and seed itself with abandon . It can be grown from wild - roll up seed and I have never seen a industrial plant carry any kind of disease .
Like many wildflower , Clematis vitalbahas had several manipulation through the ages . The root were used to make rope during the Stone Age and were valued for weaving baskets and constipate sheaves of grain because mouse would not gnaw through them . Clematis vitalbais also consider to be an effective therapeutic for stress and nerves . Be warned – it ’s not a industrial plant to be go through unless you know what you ’re doing with it and can be toxicant . The French name for honest-to-god valet de chambre ’s byssus is ‘ herbe aux gueux ’ – the beggar ’s or rascal ’s herbaceous plant . beggar deliberately used the industrial plant ’s sulphurous sap to irritate their cutis . The outcome sore and cankerous look was say to bring on understanding in , and a donation from , passers by . Do n’t try this one at home !
Seeds of erstwhile valet de chambre ’s beard , should you not rule a wild supplying , are available fromChiltern Seedspriced at £ 1.75
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Categories : Climbers , Flowers , Foliage , Wild Flowers
Posted by The Frustrated Gardener
