Small trumpets blare, announcing the warmth and luminosity of summer. Its harmonious tangle of vines weaves through the dappled light of the understory, splashing rays of tangerine. Its sweet scent and brightness attract its pollinators. The berries ripen red and form a cluster nestled by the terminal leaves. Daniel Mathews aptly writes, “the uppermost pair of opposite leaves modified into a single fused leaf—often shaped like a very full pair of lips—with the stem passing through the middle.” I often see chickadees eating the berries.
The vines can climb up small trees and shrubs that develop thickets of vegetation that provide a hideaway for a bird’s nest, such as a hummingbird (Blogpost 05/02/2022).