First maypop of 2007

My incarnata bloomed for the first time this year today! This is the one I wild collected last spring from my parents' property, the one I've dubbed "Texas Giant" because of its large 4" flowers and goose egg-sized fruit:



I've read that incarnata flowers can be highly variable, even on the same plant from year to year. I'd never really given that much thought, but the difference between the more pastel, lavender flowers from last year and the more intense blue/purple this year is striking. And the flower size is the same:



Interesting, no? I'm quite curious to see if my other two incarnata vines show such flower variation this year. Unfortunately, I visited the site where I collected this vine last spring and didn't see any growing in the immediate area--there were at least four vines last year. This time, I counted just four total vines (none flowering) along the fence line where there were a dozen or more last year. I remember finding them growing in the open field 15 years ago, but these past two years I've seen none outside of the brush on the other side of the fence. All of which has me concerned that something is killing them off, or at least presenting a less favorable environment in recent years.

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