Angels in the Landscape

Bill Hilton Jr. (AKA The Piedmont Naturalist) discovered angels along trails at The Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History in SC (USA).

OK...so what Bill discovered at The Nature Center aren't really angels but Gonolobus suberosus,"Angelpod Milkweed". "Angel" is a native vine that is related to more familar garden and field milkweeds. But, would we necessarily want to plant this vine in our gardens?

This "angel" produces tiny and unusual star-shaped flowers. It also produces the unmistakable odor of "something dead" which serves to attract pollinators, mostly flies. So, perhaps for the sake of the unusual we'd plant it far from entryways! We could also show it off to unsuspecting guests!

Angelpod apparently thrives in calcareous (limey / basic) environments.. And according to the SC Department of Natural Resources, this plant is fairly unusual.

Bill was able to produce excellent closeup photographs of angelpod flowers and its pollinators. So, even if you don't want to plant angelpod, take a look at this usual vine and appreciate its uniqueness.