Flower profile
Old man's beard clematis
Clematis drummondii
Old man's beard clematis (Clematis drummondii) is a vine in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.
Old man's beard clematis is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Texas
Quick look
Clematis drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include old man's beard, Texas virgin's bower, and barba de chivato. It is a white-flowered vine that can be found clambering among other wildflowers, on shrubs and on fence rows. The natural habitat of C.
- It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,579 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #101 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Texas, most flowering sightings come in June–September.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OK (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Leatherflower” (Clematis sp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Salivation, vomiting… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records old man's beard clematis in 5 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.
Texas counties with USDA records: Aransas, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Burnet, Caldwell, Cameron, Comal, Crockett, Culberson, Denton, Ellis, Fisher, Frio, Garza, Goliad, Guadalupe, Hays, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Wells, Jones, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kinney, Kleberg, Loving, McLennan, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Starr, Sutton, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Zapata.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 59 counties across 4 states; the most are in Texas (48), Arizona (8), New Mexico (2).
Other Clematis on Bloomipedia (6): Virgin's bower, Autumn clematis, Hairy clematis, Western white clematis, Swamp leatherflower, Purple clematis.
More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLDR.
- iNaturalist, Clematis drummondii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Clematis drummondii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Clematis drummondii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.