I am intrigued by vines that grow naturally in Manitoba. Because I think of them as a more tropical plant form, I’m always pleasantly surprised when I see one. And their natural twining abilities impress and amaze me.
I have seen the wild honeysuckle in varying colours, from yellow, to yellow and orange, right on through to a definite red.
Here’s a pretty little plant. I have not yet dried the leaves of fragrant bedstraw to try the fragrance. They are too pretty to pick!
Fragrant Bedstraw
I saw these tiny specimens a few weeks ago, nestled in the lichen.
Fragrant Bedstraw in lichen
It looks like someone, or something, has been nibbling on the tips.
Violet
This violet looks different: longer, thinner petals. Have I discovered a new subspecies, or is it a variation due to soil or climate conditions? Well, it was new to me. I may name it.
Violet
This is how most of the violets in the woods look.
Burdock
A most superior adhesive power…the burrs even stuck to my slick rain jacket surface.
And the red of the wild raspberry canes behind it.
I am not sure what kind of meadow rue this is, but I thought the red leaf edge detail on the young plant just emerging from last year’s dried leaves and grass was beautiful.
As I was walking along the road near our farm yesterday, I saw these in the ditch. Such an exotic looking seed pod.
Wild Cucumber
And those crazy curly tendrils, like the telephone cords of wall phones from long ago. Well, a decade ago. Well, some of us still have them.
Wild Cucumber
Wild cucumber, Echinocystis lobata. The name Echinocystis comes from the Greek echinos for “hedgehog” and cystis for “bladder”.
I remember taking photos at the same spot last September, so I hereby present some from that season. Same plant, in its long ago youth.
Wild Cucumber
I love the combination of green spikes, green tendrils, green leaf curves, green shadow.
Wild Cucumber
Guess what’s peeking out of that seed pod.
Wild Cucumber seeds
I find two of these seeds still wrapped in a scrap of paper on the corner of my kitchen counter. I will definitely be attempting germination and planting on a garden trellis or pole structure, in the seemingly distant spring and summer yet to come.