Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones! Here are some photos of the lush green Valentine Vine growing on my patio trellis in July, 2008. Because of its heart shaped leaves it is called by many names such as: Valentine Vine, Heart Vine, Air Potato, Air Yam, Bitter Yam, and "blankety-blank" by those in south Florida and the tropics who hate it and find it to be an invasive pest and noxious exotic weed. Here in central Mississippi I love this rampant vine perfect for shielding and screening the west side of our patio from the scorching afternoon summer sun. Our frost and winter stop it from growing out of control. I suppose it is a plant that you either love or hate depending on how you use it. In Africa the fat "potatoes" that grow on its vines high in the air are eaten after boiling to remove the poison.
9 comments:
What perfect, heart-shaped leaves. It's much too nice a plant to be called an "Air Potato". :) Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours, too.
Happy Valentine's Day to you too..
Your heart-shaped air potato post is very interesting and the leaves are beautiful.
But I prefer roses for this special day:-)
- Cheers.
Oh, how beautiful and lush, Jon. I've never heard of or seen a "valentine vine."
Best wishes to you for a happy and memorable Valentine's celebration.
Sincerely,
Janie
Hi Jon, thank you for that valentine gift, and a happy valentine's day to you too. It is the perfect shady screen plant for you! I love the magnolia and daffodil blooms too, spring! And please accept my condolence on the loss of your beloved sister, Lynn. The joyous photos of you two as happy children speaks volumes of the love you shared for each other.
Frances
Hi, Jon! What lovely green hearts!
Thanks for stopping by Robin's Nesting Place.
How sweet! I've never seen this plant before, but who couldn't like a plant with heart-shaped leaves? I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day.
Jon, are your pictures from earlier in the year or does it look like that now? It's quite lush and I can see how it would be a rampant grower. And a great sun shielder.
Your ode to your sister was beautiful. It looks like you both had a wonderful upbringing.
Thank y'all for dropping by and your nice comments on this vine.
Jean, I took these photos at the end of July, 2008. Frost here kills the vines back to the ground, but there is a huge tuber in the ground (think gigantic potato) from which new sprouts usually emerge in the spring, but I always keep a few of the new "potatoes" hanging from the vines to use to plant here and there if no new sprouts emerge.
Very cold winters will rot and kill the "mother tuber" sometimes.
I hope y'all had a nice Valentine's Day also.
Jon
Nice pictures,,,
Thanks for the cute pictures..
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Jessica
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