These purple curtains don’t last long, and they’re quickly fading now.  But for a brief period each spring, wisteria vines produce hanging chandeliers of stacked purple flowers.  Their nectar attracts many insect pollinators, and also serves as an ambush location for predatory wasps who lie in wait for the nectar-seekers.  The flowers are also edible for humans – eat them raw, or batter them and fry them into a fritter.

Photo Credit – Lynn Abbott