Trailing windmills is an orchid-colored trailing vine that is easily recognized because it produces bright pink flowers on long stems that grow along the ground. It is a beautiful perennial used medicinally for centuries by Native American communities in America's southwest.
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About Trailing Windmills
The scientific name of this plant is Allionia incarnata and is in the Trailing Four O' Clock family. The vine with its bright orchid pink flowers that are interspersed can grow up to ten feet wide along the ground. It prefers to grow on rocky slopes, mesas, and washes and can be found in sandy and gravelly soil. The stems, leaves, and buds are covered in soft white hair. They are unusual because their blooms consist of three separate flowers appearing to be a single plant. They are short low perennials with trailing stems over a foot in length. Their leaves are oval and oblong and the flowers have five to seven stamens. They are native to Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Mexico. They bloom from April to October.
Medicinal Uses
Many Native American communities in the Southwest use this plant to treat sore muscles. Specifically the Navajo, Ramah made a cold infusion of the roots and use it to treat sore muscles and swelling. It was also used to treat mouth and skin ailments. The flowers and stalks were added to baths to reduce fevers and prepared as a decoction to treat kidney ailments and gastrointestinal problems.
Did You Know...
Allionia incarnata is a flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae family or the four o'clock family.
The flowers of this plant stay open all day even though its name implies it opens in the late afternoon.
Other names for this plant include pink three flowers, pink windmills, trailing Allionia, trailing four o'clock, and trailing windmills.
Wow that was really interesting and a big eye opener.
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