Clematis vitalba
Old man's beard
Common names: Traveller's joy, Wild clematis
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −28 °C
- Spacing
- 150 cm, rows 200 cm
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Description
The Common Wild Clematis is a native, vigorous climber that covers hedges and woodland edges with clouds of cream‑white flowers and produces silvery, feathery seed heads in autumn. It serves as an important food source for insects and birds, but as a wild species it can spread aggressively. All parts of the plant are toxic and should not be consumed.
Care instructions
Plant the Clematis in a spot where the roots stay in shade while the stems receive sun, the classic "foot in shade, head in sun" rule. Provide a sturdy trellis or support tree for climbing and keep the root zone cool and moist with mulch. In late winter (February, week 9) cut it back hard, as it blooms on new growth.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-loving, nutrient-rich
Plant the traveller's joy in nutrient-rich, well-drained, humus-rich loamy soil that tolerates lime. It does not like acidic soils below pH 6. Keep the root zone cool and shaded (mulch or low companion plants) and the soil evenly moist, but without waterlogging.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–Jul
In spring, as it starts into growth, work compost and horn shavings shallowly into the root zone. Over the summer you can help along with a diluted plant brew (e.g. nettle) if needed. Do not feed after August, so that the shoots ripen in time and become hardy.
Overwintering
As a native wild species, traveller's joy is fully hardy and needs no winter protection in the lowlands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It belongs to pruning group 3. Cut the shoots back hard in late autumn or early spring, before new growth begins, and keep the root zone cool and evenly moist with a loose mulch layer.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Layering
Clematis vitalba can be propagated in three ways. The most straightforward is layering: in spring or early summer, bend a long, healthy shoot in an arc down to the ground, cover it with soil at a leaf axil and weigh it down with a stone. Keep the spot permanently moist; roots form after a few weeks. Separate the layer from the parent plant only after one to two seasons, so that it is strong enough. For cuttings, in early summer (shortly before or during flowering) cut shoot sections with two leaf axils each; cutting between the nodes (internodal cuttings) has proved its worth. Insert them in moist seed compost and keep them warm (around 20 °C) and bright, but out of direct sun; keep the air humid. First roots show after a few weeks. Sowing takes patience: collect the feathery seed heads in autumn when they are ripe. As cold-stratification seeds, the seed needs a longer cold phase: either sow it fresh in autumn in a cold frame outdoors, or stratify it cold and moist for several weeks (e.g. in moist sand in the fridge) before sowing it on seed compost. Germination can drag on for many months, and it usually takes several years to the first flower. Since Clematis vitalba is native to Central Europe and very vigorous, take a look at the site before propagating it in your garden; the species can spread strongly. Division is not recommended for this climbing wild species because of its deep, delicate roots.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
For your garden
Grow Old man's beard yourself
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