MORRIS: Lives rooted in the Word of God endure

CLIMBING BUTTERFLY PEA Centrosema virginianum

The climbing butterfly pea is a perennial vine that grows from a long tough root. It will be around for many years because it is especially tolerant to drought. Generally, the vine does not become a pest like wisteria, honeysuckle or kudzu, though it has a substantial root system.

The blooms may appear as early as March, but it is more common in midsummer. The 1 1/2 inch bloom is a lavendar-pink with the upper structure (wing and keel petals) a lighter hue. The variety that we observed had a white streak down the middle, as pictured.

The climbing butterfly pea is a native of the South. It likes to inhabit dry banks and thin woods. However, with the extended dry weather we had experienced in the past years, the butterfly peas at my friends’ home seem to have sought moisture. They are located atop the dam about 2 feet from the water.

The configuration of the leaves is noteworthy. First, they are triplets, that is, they appear along the stem as a set of three. Second, the two that are closest to the stem are direct opposites with the third leaf of the triplet perpendicular to the opposites. Finally, this perpendicular leaf is slightly larger.

Now you see it — now you don’t. The individual flower lasts only one day but often there are many buds along the vine in various stages of development. Each day several new blooms occur in different locations.

Though Isaiah 40: 8 is especially appropriate for this wildflower, it applies to us amid this pandemic. “The grass withers, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God stands forever.” Believers whose lives are rooted in God bless those around them by following the protocol recommended by the medical community: masks, social distance and sanitizing hands and frequently handled objects. Happy Valentine Day.