Old man's beard Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun dense festoons of greenish-grey hairlike flexuous strands anchored to tree trunks and branches by sparse wiry roots; southeastern United States and West Indies to South America
    black moss; Spanish moss; long moss; Tillandsia usneoides.
  2. noun vigorous deciduous climber of Europe to Afghanistan and Lebanon having panicles of fragrant green-white flowers in summer and autumn
    Clematis vitalba; traveller's joy; traveler's joy.
  3. noun common climber of eastern North America that sprawls over other plants and bears numerous panicles of small creamy white flowers
    devil's darning needle; Clematis virginiana; virgin's bower.

WordNet

Definitions
  1. . (Bot.) (a) The traveler's joy (Clematis Vitalba). So named from the abundant long feathery awns of its fruit. (b) The Tillandsia usneoides. See Tillandsia.

Webster 1913