Uncommon Beauty

[Scamall]

Kudzu is the bane of the Southern landscape. However, it is also a very beautiful flower with a rich scent that some people compare to grapes. Many parts of the vine including the flower are reported to be edible. I intend to try the leaves in the spring this is a watercolor splash with various inks on cold press watercolor 11 x 15.

 

[Terri]

Terrific piece. You're right of course - kudzu is an invasive species and widely hated throughout the South/southeast USA.

But your rendition with its lovely flower and description of the scent make it seem so benign and pretty - don't know if I'd sample a taste of it, though. Great job!

 

[laika]

Beautiful depiction! It would be great if kudzu was good for something besides preventing soil erosion! I've had poke salat cooked down and served with eggs in the spring, but didn't know kudzu was edible.

Speaking of aggressive invasives, I was out pulling up privet just yesterday. I hate that stuff.

 

[Artyczar]

So lovely.

 

[laf.art]

Lovely. not sure I'd want them in my garden though. I've read of people being unable to sell their houses cos of this species, apparently it can be difficult to get a mortgage on a house with this growing in the garden

 

[ColorEnthusiast]

Beautiful flower painted beautifully. Interesting to hear about background story.
It looks so lovely, is edible, smells good and is still a bane. We have here Himalayan balsam as invasive species, also looking nicely, but is slightly poisonous, not possible to get rid of it by eating.

 

[KreativeK]

Beautiful but a bad actor as far as horticulture goes.

 

[laika]

Many parts of the vine including the flower are reported to be edible.

Speaking of plants that are absolutely determined to grow in the Southern US, those orange ditch lilies that pop up on roadsides have edible flowers. I was very surprised that the buds are delicious even raw just before the flowers open. I've never cooked them, but the buds are said to be good after a little time in a wok, and the open blooms can be lightly battered and fried. (Hemerocallis fulva)

 

[snoball]

Beautiful! I didn’t even know that Kudzu had blooms.

 

[Scamall]

We grew up eating ditch lilies battered and fried occasionally. Honestly, anything edible, bartered and fried, tends to be delicious. We also ate a lot of foraged foods, nuts, berries, morels, lamb’s quarters, dandelions-greens and blossoms-for wine and we tapped maples for syrup.

 

[laika]

We grew up eating ditch lilies battered and fried occasionally. Honestly, anything edible, bartered and fried, tends to be delicious. We also ate a lot of foraged foods, nuts, berries, morels, lamb’s quarters, dandelions-greens and blossoms-for wine and we tapped maples for syru

Wow, that's quite a list! I'm pretty new to foraged food - purslane, ditch lilies, giant puffball mushroom (found at the right stage), and poke salat in early spring. Poke salat is kinda dicey - as in poisonous - though, if you don't know when to pick it and how to cook it. The ditch lilies and the puffballs really opened my eyes to the possibilities out there.