1. These blossoms are both plants in the Mallow family, however, neither are grown specifically for their flowers.
2. One has edible parts. The other bears fruit that is of interest to fiber crafters of many skills.
3. In the bad old pre-Civil War days, African slaves on plantations would have dined on one of these after a hard day of processing the other.
I can't bear to have a post without a pic, so here's an honest-to-goodness flower who is all over our vegetable garden - Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.
Good Luck!
I love morning glories! Them, I recognize!
ReplyDeleteAlright, I think I know one, and immediately upon figuring it out, said, "Doh! Of course!" So, I think the whitish one is the lovely flower of the Okra. The pinkish one I was wavering between two flowers, then got a bit stumped when you added the fiber use of the fruit. So I'll toss out Hibiscus, though it could very well be....
ReplyDeleteYou're right on the okra, Betsey! Now think of why Eli Whitney invented his gin ....
ReplyDeleteRight, I knew I should have read hint #1 thoroughly. Cotton Mallow?
ReplyDeleteI would not have known the flower of the okra...all the okra I've ever been acquainted with have been battered and fried. :) But from your hint, I knew the other must be cotton. I did grow up in the South, after all. :D
ReplyDeleteSandi
Betsey, you've got it! The first photo is one of the okra flower. The second is the lovely blossom on my cotton plant. The blossoms on the cotton plant have now become bulging bolls, not yet open. I'll send you an email regarding your reward.
ReplyDeleteHey, Sandi - I was wondering when you'd jump in on these Southern specialties! I wish you were closer to share some of the yummy okra we've had this year - and I never expected to put "yummy" and "okra" in the same sentence. =)
ReplyDeleteGoodness, the depths of my ignorance....One of these days I hope to learn as much about garden plants as I know about houseplants!
ReplyDelete