Tuesday, August 6, 2013

HELP ME IDENTIFY THIS BEAUTIFUL PINK FLOWERING VINE

Do you know the name of this flowering vine?
Years ago, I was driving through an older neighborhood and saw this vine growing on a fence.  It was sooo beautiful and in full bloom.  I knocked on the homeowner's door and asked about the vine.  She didn't know the name.  She said a friend gave her some seeds a long time ago and she's always let it grow on that fence.  I asked if she would share some seeds with me.  
Months later, she called and had a large sack of seeds for me.
It is similar to a wisteria, but the leaves are very different.  It is a legume.  The large seed pods look almost like a large okra and have several beans inside.
All of these little green flower buds look like a stalk of bananas and will turn into the large pink flowers.  Then, as the flowers drop off, a seed pod will start growing.
I love vines and really love this one.  I've planted it in several places because I never want to lose it.  It's very hardy and comes back year after year, no matter how bad the past summer or winter happened to be.
Can you help me identify this vine??

13 comments:

  1. It's a runner bean, but there is more than one type with pink flowers. I'm growing the scarlet runner beans this year. The flowers and beans are edible.

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    1. I think you have the closest guess. The leaves are similar, but The flower clusters are very different. After spending lots of time searching, I have noticed that lots of the flowering legumes have similar flower shapes. I will keep searching, though and will let you know.

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  2. It's a Hyacinth Bean Vine. Have sent you an e-mail with info and pictures.
    Have been growing them for years - beautiful. Judy-Texas

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    1. I really love purple hyacinth bean vines and have grown them in the past, but this is very different from that vine. The bean pods are very different and the flower clusters are, too. Thank you!

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    2. And, I forgot to say, thank you for the email with all of the informaiton. Everything you sent is exactly what I've experienced, buying seeds, etc.

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  3. I learned something today. I did not know the name of it. Beans are good to eat and provide a bloom of beauty.

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    1. Yes, they are beautiful. But, we'll have to keep searching for this particular vine. It is a hardy vine, perennial and wherever it drops it beans, plants will come up and that's ok with me because I LOVE vines.

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  4. Hi Lynda Did you ever figure out the name of that beautiful vine? I'm like you. I love vines and also anything that attracts butterflies. The mosquitoes just about carried me off yesterday- hoping to get some more work done in the yard today before the temps start climbing again. I don't remember having such a beautiful spring in San Antonio!

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    1. Hi there, I haven't figured it out, yet. It's close to a snail vine and several more that I've seen on Google. Regarding the mosquitoes, i've only seen one, so far. I guess it's just been too cool for them. Such a beautiful spring!!

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    2. Forgot to say that I have seeds for this vine and will be glad to send them to you or you can pick them up. I live at I-10/Callaghan.

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  5. Hi Linda! You beat me to it! I was googling and found this link and thought maybe it might be close, but Is see you've already considered snail vine! I would love to get some seeds! My kids outgrew their cedar playset, so I gave it to the music teacher at their school and now I have a lot more yard to dig in. We have millions of mosquitoes. I live in a greenbelt and there is standing water back there, I bet. I'll send you an email. http://www.zone9tropicals.com/phaseolus-caracalla-snail-vine-p-764.html

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    1. Beautiful, beautiful vines!! I knew you must live on a greenbelt and there must be water nearby. I just don't have that many mosquitoes, YET!

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  6. PS The vines on that web site are giving me heart palpitations!!!

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