Tuesday, November 16, 2010

a milkweed that climbs





Well it certainly looked like the exploding seeds pods for common milkweed, but then again it didn’t. You know how that goes? IDing sparrows is a cinch compared to some plants. Luckily, we had local wildflower expert Kris Light with us on our hike to the Ross Marble Natural Area.

It is in the milkweed family, a native perennial vine found in the southeast somewhat blessed with a plethora of common names: blue-vined milkweed, sandvine, honeyvine milkweed, climbing milkweed and/or smooth swallow-wort. But to any biologist, it’s simply Cynanchum laeve.

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