I think if you investigate properly you will discover a little viola plant which is totally covered by the pea apart from the flower. It simply isn't possible for a pea to produce viola flowers!

I agree it doesn't seem possible, but I assure you I have investigated properly and the viola flower is growing from the end of the tendril at some 18 inches above ground.

Reminds me of the line from 'Under Milk Wood' -

" From one of the finger bowls a primrose grows."

Sorry Jomartin it simply isn't possible for a viola flower to appear on a pea plant. Engulfed somewhere in that pea plant is the viola.

Is it remotely possible that a viola seed became 'embedded' in the soft tissue of the plant at ground level and grew up with it?

Violas seed themselves all over the place - it is possible its popped out of the end of something, but not likely - I note it has no leaves present, and they'd appear first before a flower did.

Someone playing a practical joke? On walks my kids used to love to thread the dropped azalea and rhodo flowers from one plant onto leaf buds of other bushes, making gorgeous "Mixed flower" displays that puzzled other walkers. ;-)

lol Beattie

I just realised you say its growing from a 'tendril' - if you really mean a tendril, the curly thing with which it clings to supports, its possible its lassooed a viola flower and severed it from the parent viola plant as its grown. Do you have violas growing nearby?

But the photo does really look as though its growing on the pea plant doesn't it?

Well, a quick visit to photoshop with a photograph of myself and I'd look 30 years younger, Steragram, lol!

Wouldn't that be great? Make that 35. And add some hair thickness.

Ha ha - I still have my badge from my 35th birthday which says 35 for Ever... I wouldn't want to be any younger than that though.

OK...now I'm feeling like a numpty! Bamboo is absolutely right. The tendril had indeed lassooed the viola flower and grasped it so tight as to make it seem absolutely that the viola was growing from the pea plant. It was wonderfully exciting to see what appeared to be a miracle last night....still nature is pretty wonderful without extra miracles me thinks. Apologies to moon grower for not having another look before answering her earlier.

Power to you for coming back on and admitting it, Jomartin - but its an easy mistake to make if you like to believe in miracles and have an optimistic view on life. Unlike me, lol!

Do you know I really wanted to believe in that little miracle... ho hum.

I like to dream - but I wouldn't have wished it was true, I'd be too disappointed when it wasn't, so I take a realistic approach to these things and equate the likelihood first!

Jomartin no big deal... glad we have solved the challenge :-)