Sunday, August 30, 2020

Wildflower Beauty

One of the sure signs, that Summer is waning, is the return of the Passion Flower..




Resembling something of an underwater sea-creature, the Passion Flower resides far from the ocean, in land-locked Tennessee.
It was first named as the official state flower in 1919 and then in 1939 the iris was also named the state flower. In 1973 legislation was passed designating the passion flower as the state wildflower and the iris as the state cultivated flower.

Also known as the maypop, wild apricot and the Ocoee, passion flowers grow wild in the southern United States and South America. Ocoee is the Indian name for the passion flower (also used in the name of the Ocoee River and valley in Tennessee and the city of Ocoee in Florida). American Indians considered Ocoee the most beautiful of flowers.
I can't help but agree.

10 comments:

DJan said...

It is incredibly beautiful. I remember seeing it in another post of yours a while back, and thought it was pretty but this time it seems even more wondrous. :-)

Louca por porcelana said...

Stunning!

--Ana-- said...

Passion flower is a perennial there? Here it's an annual flower that we have to sow in pots and transplant in May.

Yvonne said...

I'm glad you can enjoy this vine. It pops up here and there in my yard, but it's too hard to keep contained. The photo is beautiful, and it does remind me of some creature living on a coral reef.

L. D. said...

It is an amazing bloom. I am always fascinated when you post your visual each year.

Susie said...

Jo, I think that flower is so strange but pretty. I also love the iris. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

It's.a.crazy.world said...

When we lived in Oregon we had passion flowers. They seem quite impossible, don't they? Amazing flowers!

The Great Ethan Allen said...

That is a very stunning flower.

Edna B said...

Oh how beautiful. I never knew the history. It's really quite fascinating. I also really do love the Iris. I have several in my garden. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

Divers and Sundry said...

What a lovely flower. I hadn't realized it was the state wildflower here. Cool!