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crashdive123
09-17-2009, 06:51 PM
I had mentioned a while back, when talking about Wild Potato Vine that I had not noticed the flowers on them until this year. They really are quite prolific, and this morning as I got in my truck to head off to my first job, I noticed a large area of vines blooming. This particular cluster of vines is climbing about 30 feet up a tree.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles001-1.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles006-1.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles002-1.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles008-1.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles009-1.jpg


This was in the back of my mind all day. I know that sometimes unless you look for things you can miss some of the smaller details. These flowers were so bright that I just wondered how I had missed them all these years. I may have had some help from Mother Nature. I got home late this afternoon and apparently all of the blooms have closed up and gone to sleep. I’m looking forward to see if they open up again in the morning.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles011-1.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Wild%20Edibles/WildEdibles013-1.jpg

Rick
09-17-2009, 08:05 PM
Is it the picture or are the flowers shaded in lavender? I've never seen lavender on wild potato flowers. Ours are pure white. I mean, white white white with a deep purple center.

crashdive123
09-17-2009, 08:11 PM
They do have a light lavender color, with a darker center. One of the other vines that flowered last week had white (not real bright) flowers.

Rick
09-18-2009, 08:26 AM
Probably some regional variation or different variety. Good to know, however.

2dumb2kwit
09-18-2009, 09:25 AM
They do have a light lavender color, with a darker center. One of the other vines that flowered last week had white (not real bright) flowers.


Probably some regional variation or different variety. Good to know, however.

I've heard, that the ones in SC are kinda pinkish.:innocent:

Mertell
09-18-2009, 01:24 PM
I used to grow Sweet Potatos. They flower just like that. They are actually a member of the morning glory family.

Living up here in Wisconsin, the vines did not have time to get that big before frost killed them. They make a wonderful survival garden, because you can plant them and forget them.

-Mert

pocomoonskyeyes
09-18-2009, 01:42 PM
I used to grow Sweet Potatos. They flower just like that. They are actually a member of the morning glory family.

Living up here in Wisconsin, the vines did not have time to get that big before frost killed them. They make a wonderful survival garden, because you can plant them and forget them.

-Mert

I was thinking they might actually be Morning Glories!

Rick
09-18-2009, 02:07 PM
All of the above are in the Morning Glory (Convolvulaceae) family. The sweet potato is Ipomoea batatas while wild potato is Ipomoea pandurate. So yes, they are all Morning Glories.

pocomoonskyeyes
09-18-2009, 04:41 PM
Holy Smokes Batman!!! I've been ignoring those flowers because I assumed they were all Morning Glories. Aw man there's no telling on what all I have missed!!