Someone already identified this for me on another forum. That was fast! It is apios americana (groundnut).

Grows more in the southern states as wild but the Indians used it. Nice vine!!!

Carol

Audrey is that the true color, kind of a brownish pink? It's an unusual color for a flower. I like it. Where does your mother live? I've never seen this before.
Karyn

What would be the chances of getting a start/seed of this lovely vine? Chances are tho that it would be too hot here in Texas for it. So pretty...
Patsy

Its really beautiful. looks like the flower is what is sticking it to the fence. Is that the way its holding on? very unusual. I've never seen nor heard of it before.

Thanks, everybody, for your comments. My dad told me, even before I posted the picture, that he thought it was called nut something. So he turned out to be right!

Karyn, yes, I think the color came out pretty true in the photo. My mom lives here in western PA too. I couldn't remember seeing the flower before myself, so think it must be fairly rare here. Perhaps more so now than in the past, as my dad could recall it from his childhood.

Patsy, I read that the plant is supposed to produce beans. So I'll have to see whether the bean pods have any seeds in them. Provided I can still find the vine when it isn't flowering! The tubers are supposed to be edible too.

Debraq, actually that isn't a fence. I laid the flower on top of an old table to photograph it. Though it looks as if I did take the photo from a rather odd angle!

If you do find a seed or so it would be great to get some. I have lots of seed/plants that I will be happy to trade with you. Let me know and I will send a list of what I have. I do not keep a list as it is always changing.
Patsy

Is this in the same family as Wisteria? I know there is a kind of wisteria called ??? nutt.

If possible, I surely would like to try to see if it also grows in NC also.

This could be quite an experiment. Feel free to email me at - lhendri479 (at) aol (dot) com

LMK - Linda

Sorry, everybody, but I couldn't find any seedpods on the groundnut vine. I see that there are several companies which offer the plant, though--including Brushwood Nurseries, Forestfarm, and OIKOS Tree Crops--if anybody wants to order one in the spring.

Thanks for the info. Did this look like a fairly well behaved vine or was it growing out of control?
Karyn

Karyn,
Actually it was a little hard to tell, as it was tangled in with a couple other vines, including bindweed. But a couple people on the Dave's Garden site did mention that it can be invasive. See following link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Groundnut Info