Oh, no! Not on my back yard fence. This term must have been applied to the gorgeous orange plant by someone who hadn’t had his coffee one morning. Actually, I guess if the truth were known, it can be invasive, aggressive even. But it is also beautiful and I count myself blessed to have it climbing on my fence. I much prefer its more genteel name, Trumpet Vine, because of its deep, trumpet-shaped blossoms. Where did it come from? Who knows? Perhaps a benevolent bird or maybe Miss Hollyhock, that gentle, gray-haired sprite who goes about scattering seed surprises, left it one moonlit night.
According to Holistic Healing’s website, it helps a person feel more confident and be able to speak truth as she sees it! Wow! What a gift for a writer. I’m going to have to leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Miss Hollyhock. And, if a person has trouble speaking in public, this vine is for you. Now I don’t know how it is used. I would not under any circumstance recommend chewing it or having its blooms or roots for supper. But I guess that old legend started somewhere for some reason.
Maybe it is useful to writers because it is assertive and writers sometimes are not. Probably just looking at the lovely blossoms would give anybody a surge of joy and confidence. So even though I didn’t plant it and didn’t send out an invitation for it to join my floral family, it is certainly welcome. Sometimes these unexpected plants, like unlooked-for moments of joy, are the best of all!
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