This Flower Stinks
Edible Gardens · Forest & Nature Bathing · Paws&Tails · plants

This Flower Stinks

PlantsandBeyond

The Skunk Vine in the backyard landscape turned out to be an invasive noxious weed. It stinks to high heavens. This weed’s protective mechanism makes you feel sickened after smelling it.

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As I was walking by the trees and plants in the backyard, trying to ground and de-stress, I noticed these tiny flowers clusters hanging from the birds of paradise and sticking out of the established branches.

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To my excitement, I thought: “Oh, how nice – a surprise flower that tolerates this Summer Florida heat, for a change. Let me smell it.”

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My Doggy Flower Daisy smells better than this Skunk Vine

Oh boy, I wish I had not attempted to take this flower’s odor into my inhaling breath. It smelled so bad, I started coughing. It reminded me of thousands of broccoli cooked in the boiling pot. When you open the pot lid and the smell escapes, only to find out that your broccoli was super rotten. Some people say this skunk vine stinks as used sweaty gym shoes. I think stuffing rotten broccoli in sweaty gym shoes and then smelling it is more like it. It is that bad.

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After researching the possible benefits of this weed, for it survives on its own, without any care. Turns out it is an edible plant that is used in Asian cooking. Apparently, there are 52 species of these skunk vine plants.

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It seems to be used as a medicinal plant in Asia and India for aches and pains. I just don’t know, if I would try using it nowadays. The noxious smell is hard to bypass. Moreover, the surrounding areas around its growth also smell atrocious.

Video source: UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/paederia-foetida/

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Make it a very green day, my friends.

Luda@PlantsandBeyond🌿

All photographs belong to Luda @PlantsandBeyond.com

©PlantsandBeyond.com

 

Published by PlantsandBeyond

Green Plants Based Living and Gardening

28 thoughts on “This Flower Stinks”

  1. Oh pew, and you were out in the garden to destress. You dog has that “I do not believe Mum is doing this” look on her face. Their sense of smell is much stronger than ours. LOL
    Interesting to know about this… smells like rotten broccoli cooking, I would not want to rub it on me either. Bless you Luda.

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  3. The skunk ivy is a flower very pretty perhaps but not pleasant to smell. Your post reminds me of the skunk cabbage that grows here near creeks and swampy areas in the spring time. It is huge and also pretty to look at, but the name says it all. I am so glad that you finished your post with a refreshing green, Luda!

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    1. LOL. Yes, Peter, I had to find something pleasant to gaze to at the end. Thank you very much for reading. So interesting about the skunk cabbage. I guess these smelly edibles are everywhere. I only wish I had your photo camera skills on my i phone 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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