I recently photographed two members of the Convolvulacae family – the bindeweed or morning glory family – in North Carolina and Tennessee. These plants are known for their funnel shaped flowers.

The first flower I photographed was a purple tall morning glory (ipomoea purpurea) at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The next morning, I found some wonderful pink morning glories growing along the side of the road on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Asheville.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The second member of the Convolvulacaea family I photographed is the Wild Potato Vine (Ipomoea pandurata). The vine grows from an edible tuber-like root that is similar to a sweet potato.

I photographed this group of three wild potato flowers at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I then found a few more blossoms to photograph at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins