Jordan Lake. No, that is not tangled up twine left by a careless person. Those yellow orange strands belong to the dodder plant. Dodders are parasitic plants. They start off with roots in the ground but soon lose those roots because along those thin strands are developed sucking roots. Those sucking roots actually penetrate their host plant and draw out the nutrients that the dodder needs. Sometimes dodder is a problem as in blueberry fields. Sometimes it is not. But it is a curiosity and I thought y’all might like to see another kind of wildflower … a parasitic plant that happens to be in the morning glory family. Very interesting isn’t it.

Jordan Lake. The crimson-eyed rose-mallows are blooming. This blossom may look familiar – especially if you have ever grown okra. However this is not okra but it is a relative and both plants are hibiscus varieties. Like okra, the rose-mallow is edible although I’ve never tasted it. The crimson-eyed rose-mallow is native to North America while the okra originated somewhere in Africa.

A correction!!!!! Thankfully one of my readers brought to my attention that the species in my photo shown here – the Passiflora incarnata – is indeed native to the US. So am trying to make sure everyone has the right information. Whew!