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Ask the Expert: What is this vine?
I live in the Fort Worth TX area in the country. For the past 3 summers this vine has been growing along the fence near my entrance gate. It has been so dry here this year the leaves are yellow and turning brown instead of green as in previous years. But you can easily see the shape in these pics. And the fruit of course. It withers and dies before August. Each “fruit” contains many I-2mm seeds. Any idea what this is? –Ginny
Ask the Expert: What is it?
we have a crawling vine on our fence that looks like a maple leaf but has little white flowers and it has little cactus looking plums on it? grows really quickly. Deline
Coast Wild Cucumber
Marah fabaceus Seed Pod
Flower Shop Network‘s Plant Expert:
It looks like a member of the wild cucumber family which is the Marah genus.
I think this particular plant is a Marah fabaceus. It is commonly called California manroot, Coast wild cucumber, Manroot, wild cucumber and bigroot. The plant is found throughout California. Although the Marah genus can be found in various parts of the country, the Marah fabaceus is endemic (limited) to California alone.
It is consider a perennial vine and a herb. The prickly fruit may resemble cucumbers, but is not edible. It has a very bitter taste.
Native Californians used this fruit medicinally. The Kumeyaay people use the crushed tubers of this plant to aid in fishing. They throw the crushed tubers in the water to immobilize the fish.
This plant identification was brought to you by the local florists in San Francisco.
Ask the Expert: Purple Flowering Vine
We live in central Oklahoma. It is now mid September and my neighbor brought me these purple flowers off a vine he found growing up his cucumber trellis.
He has lived in his home for 29 years and did not plant this flower. The vine is purplish in color and the blossoms are shapped similar to a butterfly. I hope the pictures show you enough detail for identification. Sandy
Plant Expert Reply:
It looks like a hyacinth bean vine (Dolichos lablab) bloom. You should start to see purple bean pods. This vine with heart-shaped leaves is considered a short-lived perennial in frost-free areas. Most people grow it as an annual.
Although the beans can be cooked and eaten, they are poisonous when eaten raw. Birds probably dropped the seeds in your neighbors garden.
Ask the Expert: Please help me identify this flower/shrub Mandevilla
I would really love to know what sort of bush this is… if you could, I would be very grateful. Brooke
Plant Expert Reply:
What you have is a vining shrub called mandevilla. It once went by the name Dipladenia splendens but the correct name is Mandevilla x amoena. At my husband’s garden center, we sell a cultivar called Alice du Pont. The plants are hardy in zones 9-11 and live year round. In zone 8 they die back in the winter and came back from the roots in the spring. In all other zones it is treated as an annual.
It loves full sun. Although a little mid-day shade is appreciated. They like plenty of moisture but it must have well-drained soil.
Clematis
Ask the Expert: Flower identification
This flower blooms each June and is a vine-type plant. I have not been able to identify this plant. Can you help? Phil
Plant Expert Reply:
What you have is a clematis. I’m not sure which variety it is. Go to Donahue’s Clematis, they have great pictures of several clematis varieties and more information on how to take care of them.
Ask the Expert: An annual flower
I grow a twining plant, an annual, the has a very thin stem, with soft feathery leaves shaped like individual pine needles, and very small magenta star shaped flowers. The seeds are small and individual with each flower, black and about the size of coursely ground pepper. I saw it at the Missouri Botanical garden, but it was mislabled as penta lanceolata. The plant grows up to 15 feet up the side of the greenhouse, and reseeds readily. Gail
Cardinal Climber Vine
Picture comes from the Missouri Plant website.
Ask the Expert: What blooms w/ raspberries but has white on leaves
This looks like a ‘berry’ vine but is blooming with what looks like small white berries in a cluster. The leaves have white on them as well. Some of these are growing with rose bushes and some right along with the raspberry vines. I just moved to this house one year ago and am interested in identifying this.
Thanks! Jeanene
