Old Man's Beard Taken at Tyninghame Bay on 24th September 2017 using Panasonic Lumix LX5 in macro mode. Old Man's Beard. Species: Order: Family Habit: Clematis vitalba. Ranunculales. Ranunculaceae. Climbing shrub. Habitat: Height: Flowers: Feature: Edges of woodlands, hedgerows. Up to 3 mts. August - September Clematis vitalba was used to make rope during the Stone Age in Switzerland. In Slovenia, the stems of the plant were used for weaving baskets for onions and also for binding crops. It was particularly useful for binding sheaves of grain because mice do not gnaw on it. In Italy, the sprouts are harvested to make omelettes. It is also widely considered in the medical community to be an effective cure for stress and nerves.