Noticed this flowering on new spring growth in Piedmont SC. Plant looks like a sapling, and is very close to the ground. Flower is disproportionately large when compared to size of plant and green stem with flowers is about 5 inches long. The reddish-green waxy looking leaves above the flower are the same plant. Ignore the oak tree saplings in the background. What is this?
Hi Timothy,
this is a Chinese wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, commonly grown in much of the USA. It can be a very invasive vine, covering whole trees. The vine sometimes trails on the ground, and that is probably the case with your plant because they usually flower much higher in the trees. While the flowers are wonderful, the vine can really become a pest if allowed to grow into trees on a property.
Sincerely,
Steve Hill, Botanist, SCNPS