Native Plants

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Tuesday - September 01, 2009

From: Memphis, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Vines
Title: Flowering vine in Tennessee
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I'm in Memphis, TN & have a flowering vine growing wild behind my A/C unit. Not the sort of vine that twines. Small blue flowers bloom out of pods; flowers only have two petals. Blooms last only one day; by sunset they have disappeared, but the vine blooms again next morning. Flowers resemble columbine flowers. Thanks for your help.

ANSWER:

Here are a few possibilities, although none of them fits your description exactly:

Centrosema virginianum (spurred butterfly pea)

Clematis crispa (swamp leather flower)

Clitoria mariana (Atlantic pigeonwings)

Clematis pitcheri (bluebill)

If none of these is your mystery vine, please take photos and send them to us. We will do our best to identify your vine. To read instructions for submitting photos, please visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page.

Centrosema virginianum

Clematis crispa

Clitoria mariana