Love in a Puff

Many types of plants are grown in the garden at the 1850s William Root House, however, there’s one plant in particular that fascinates visitors young and old. It’s a fairly unassuming vine that climbs the fence and has pretty small white blossoms. But as the summer progresses, the blossoms form into green “puffs” filled with humid air. So now that we have the “puff” part, where’s the love? Inside are small green seeds. As the puffs wither and turn brown, the seeds inside turn black. When the puffs are opened, each black seed has a white heart on it. ❤ Aww, there’s the love.

The Latin name for the plant is cardiospermum halicbabum. Be sure to stop by the museum sometime to check out this interesting plant. It’s prohibited from sale in Georgia, so you likely won’t see it growing many other places than a museum!