Clematis vitalba

Clematis vitalba_Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
Photo by Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

Synonyms: Anemone vitalba

Common names: old man's beard; traveler's joy

Clematis vitalba (old man’s beard) is a vine (family Ranunculaceae) with white flowers and oval-shaped leaves found in the central coast ranges of California. It is native to the United Kingdom. It favors forests and woodlands. It spreads via seeds and roots. Means of dispersal include water, wind, humans and animals.

Cal-IPC Rating: Moderate — Alert

CDFA Rating: A

Cal-IPC Assessment

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Species ID Card

Invasive Species ID Card - To support field identification of early detection species, Cal-IPC has designed a set of Species ID cards that can be downloaded, printed double-sided, and trimmed to size.

Weed Management Notes

  • Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

There are no Symposium presentations associated with this species yet.

Other Clematis vitalba Information

  • CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
  • Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
  • CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
  • USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
  • Bugwood - National database from the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.
  • The Plant List - Global taxonomic resource and collaborative clearinghouse from Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Missouri Botanic Garden and others.
  • GBIF - Global distribution information.
  • EDDMapS - North American distribution based on Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.