Clematis drummondii, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard or Texas Virgin’s Bower, is known not so much for its blossoms as it is for the showy clouds of the fruits of the female plants. Usually found as a vine along fences or climbing on shrubs, the opposite leaves are the most distinctive feature in the Spring.
Later come the flowers, which are either male or female and found on separate plants. The flowers have no petals, but have sepals that form a cross or “X” below the stamens and pistils. The flowers are subtly different at first, with the female flowers showing a dense cluster of pistils in the center that are slightly taller than the surrounding infertile stamens. In the male flowers, the stamens radiate in a uniform manner, forming a hemisphere.
Clematis drummondii can be found in several places in and around my neighborhood, some of which are in walking distance of the community center. These photos were taken near an intersection with the toll 45 frontage road in Williamson County. Read more about Clematis.
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