PlantFiles: Species Clematis, Drummond's Clematis, Virgin Bower Vine
Clematis drummondii

(San Antonio, Tx.)
Other common names virgin's-bower, Texas virginsbower, barbas de chivato, and Texas old man's beard
This is a climbing, semi-woody perennial vine that has numerous small (.8 inches across) white to creamy colored blooms.It grows prolifically and some consider it an invasive weed. It is a native to Arizona, New Mexico, southwestern Oklahoma and Texas. The butterfly, fatal metalmark, likes its nectar which is not very strong. I love this vine and played with the seeds as a child ... and still do! My family did not know its name so we called it "the feather vine". Seeing these vines with seeds in the fall brings back fond memories of my youth, barefoot and carefree, spent in the country until urban sprawl surrounded my childhood place of residence. The vines usually can be found on fences, along riverbanks and roadsides or in yards covering other plants if not kept under control. Clematis vitalba is also called "Old Man's Beard" and "traveler's joy". It has much larger leaves and the seeds are enmeshed in much more of a cottony looking ball (in the photos I have seen, it is not as feathery).