Clematis vitalba is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flowers with fluffy underlying sepals.

The many fruits formed in each inflorescence have long silky appendages which, seen together, give the characteristic appearance of old man's beard.

[3] Due to its disseminatory reproductive system, vitality, and climbing behavior, Clematis vitalba is an invasive plant in many places.

[4][5] The species is capable of rapid growth, climbing several times faster than English ivy, and each plant may produce in excess of 100,000 seeds.

New Zealand native species of Clematis have smooth stems and can easily be differentiated from C. vitalba by touch.