November 7, 2011

Traveler's Joy


It climbs trees, hedgerows and steep rocks, and its long creepers fall down like curtains. At this time of the year its leaves are turning from green to yellow and white.



Traveler's Joy (Clematis vitalba) does not get its name because of its beautiful flowers. Where cultivated Clematises have brightly colored petals, those of Traveler's joy are small and pale green.

But in winter it shows fluffy white balls that stay on until the first snow covers them.










Like in other Ranunculaceae, in each flower several tiny oval seeds develop, and each seed ends in a long white protrusion. When the seed is ripe long white hairs make the fruit look fat and fluffy.