This one is a HUGE surprise!

Yesterday afternoon, I was walking on the other side of our property, just mulling around and pulling weeds from the compost heap. (We don't have much planted over there, other than some esperanzas and crape myrtles.) Anyway, I happened to glance at the coral honeysuckle vine that volunteered a few years ago to grow on our chain-link fence in a corner. It is HEALTHY big! As I was passing by, a different leaf caught my eye. What was that? I looked closer.....

A morning-glory! I found some unopened buds, which confirmed my basic identification. Hmmm. I looked at the leaves again. It definitely was NOT our local tievine (Ipomoea cordatotriloba). Could it be Alamo vine (Merremia dissecta), which I planted further down the fence? No, I decided.

I followed the mystery morning-glory's stem down to the Mohr's thoroughwort (Eupatorium mohrii), a little volunteer off the mother thoroughwort. The vine was growing from the thoroughwort's base.

Could the vine be Lindheimer's morning-glory?

YES YES YES! (This morning, the open blooms confirmed the species.)

And, pray tell, why is this such a surprise, Sheryl?

Why, I thought you'd never ask! Well, we bought and planted a Lindheimer's morning-glory (Ipomoea lindheimeri) in April 2013 in this same location. It didn't survive, and it must not have bloomed because I don't have photos on my blog of any. THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO! I just can't explain this one! Did our recent abundant rains have something to do with it? I'll never know. In the meantime, WELCOME BACK, LINDHEIMER'S MORNING-GLORY! Please stay this time! (Yes, it's a perennial vine.)

Alamo vine flower and leaves.....

I love Alamo vine.