Traveller's joy is also known as old man's beard (for obvious reasons) and also wild clematis. You may encounter any one of these names as they are all applied to this vigorous climbing plant. Most field guides seem to favour traveller's joy although I am not sure why when the other two seem more appropriate to me!
It can be found anywhere on chalk and limestone soils, mainly but not exclusively in hedgerows, and where it occurs it can be abundant.
The traveller's joy is a double win for our wildlife population as the lovely little cream flowers come out in mid-summer and are a popular nectar source. Then, in autumn, these massed seed heads appear and so our seed eating birds take their turn.
It is certainly one of our more scruffy plants but it really is lovely where ever it occurs and in both of its states.
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