Vagabond Tales- American Hog Peanuts- the Imposter

Picture 1- American Pokeweed- no one fell for this one…FYI..The toxic extract from these berries can be made into a red dye or ink… We do have this growing at home

Picture 2- Canada Clearweed- FYI…This one is edible…a member of the nettle family.

Picture 3- American Hog Peanuts- The imposter, the charlatan, the prankster, the fraudster…basically ,a con plant. Most of you fell for this one. It is a much more delicate leaf than poison ivy. I have this guy growing in and around my azaleas at home and when I saw this plant I decided it must grow all over the US. This plant is from the legume family and gets its name from the underground fruits or “peanuts” that are dug up and eaten by wild pigs.

Drumroll…Will the real poison ivy please stand up…

Picture 4- Poison Ivy. This particular one was growing up the tree. Humans are one of the few animals who are susceptible to poison ivy. Many birds and animals eat the fruit and leaves with no issues.

So. By my calculations…no one is eligible for the drawing this time. Chris mentioned 4 but he said he chose 3 so…disqualified. Sorry. I will come up with another test soon.

And just an update on my eye…better this morning. We are traveling today towards Copper Harbor, Michigan.