I always think of Hallowe’en when I see Old Man’s beard in the hedgerow. It makes a good stand-in for thick cobwebs for children’s parties.

Other names for Old Man’s Beard include Traveller’s Joy, and it is part of the clematis genus.

According to the Woodland Trust, bees and hoverflies like the flowers, and it also provides food for a variety of moths. Birds, including Goldfinches, enjoy the seed heads.