So we had a plant that decided to seed itself in the yard. We live in central Arizona. 3500 feet elevation. This plant gets full sun, until around 3:30 pm. The leaves move East to west to follow the sun. It seeded itself where a tree had been removed a year ago, but still has drip irrigation, so it gets a dose of daily water.
Leaves and stalks are fuzzy, and my wife’s hands were sticky after talking these pictures.
I have asked around and had no luck.
There always seems to be an answer on the Sigforum, so, what is this thing?

I have a thought it could be a morning glory, but not so sure.

There are internet based sites you upload the picture to and it should be able to identify it. I’ve not used one but you can google it and give it a shot.

Or you could show it to a local nursery and see what they say.

It looks like some type of gourd.

Used my “plant snap” app to identify the plant.
It is a “Proboscidea Louisianica Flower”, also called a “Unicorn Plant” or “”Devil’s claw”.

I’m no expert, hence I got (needed) the free app. It’s hit or miss on ID-ing plants but in this case: if you google “Unicorn Plant” it clearly shows the same type of plant.
Hope this helped.

Found this, too:
-Their sticky glandular hairs trap and kill leaf-eating insects, potentially making them an excellent trap crop.
-Their native habitat is the dry desert southwest so there is no need for extra watering.
-They have edible seeds that supposedly taste like coconut and yield a quality cooking oil.
-Their sticky leaves are reportedly great for removing lice from domestic fowl.
-These proto-carnivorous plants MOVE. I mean, they PHYSICALLY MOVE (*ASTONISHED

quote:

Originally posted by Turning_gal:
Used my “plant snap” app to identify the plant.
It is a “Proboscidea Louisianica Flower”, also called a “Unicorn Plant” or “”Devil’s claw”.

I’m no expert, hence I got (needed) the free app. It’s hit or miss on ID-ing plants but in this case: if you google “Unicorn Plant” it clearly shows the same type of plant.
Hope this helped.

You are the ma’am. Nailed it.
Wife loves that’s it a unicorn.
I left out the devils claw. She’s doesn’t need to hear that. I’ll clip the claws prior to being shitty.

Thanks again. I probably wouldn’t have found that.

An interesting plant by the description. Something that looks like that is in my backyard but much smaller so I am unsure if it is the same. A bug eating plant is welcome at the Casa Kablammo. That is a pretty flower at the center.

yup, devil's claw. I am about 4000 feet in S.Az.
Have seen them in Arizona and N.M. all my life.
They look like they have dew drops on them even as dry as it is here usually. And like you say, kinda sticky. They usually don't get going until the summer rains hit. That one has an extra water source,so it is ahead of the race.
ETA, the seeds inside,after the claw is mature and starts to split open are edible. Natives apparently gathered them and stored the seeds for rough times.

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleAdobe:
yup, devil's claw. I am about 4000 feet in S.Az.
Have seen them in Arizona and N.M. all my life.
They look like they have dew drops on them even as dry as it is here usually. And like you say, kinda sticky. They usually don't get going until the summer rains hit. That one has an extra water source,so it is ahead of the race.
ETA, the seeds inside,after the claw is mature and starts to split open are edible. Natives apparently gathered them and stored the seeds for rough times.

While I’m a culinary expirimentist, I don’t see me trying those anytime too soon.
Who knows, maybe the coronavirus turns us into the Book of Eli, and I’m eating devils claw seeds?

Ha, could be. Just for fun, search for Texas Mosquito Devil's Claw or similar. My Grampa and Gramma lived in El Paso when I was a kid, on the bedside lamp shade was a mosquito made out of a big old Devil's Claw. It even had a little felt hat on it,haha.

You are the ma’am. Nailed it.
Wife loves that’s it a unicorn.
I left out the devils claw.

You are so welcome! Glad it worked and definitely leave out the “Devil’s claw”...
Cool plant, btw.