Passion Flower

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Photo of blooming passionflower
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Name
Edible
Scientific Name
Passiflora incarnata
Family
Passifloraceae (passion flowers)
Description

Herbaceous perennial vine, sprawling or climbing by tendrils. The unique, elaborate flowers arise singly from axils, the floral parts purplish blue, pink, and white, fringed. Blooms June–September. Leaves alternate, deeply 3- or occasionally 5-lobed, on stalks up to 3 inches long. Two small glands are located near the top of the leaf stalk. Fruit fleshy, egg-shaped or nearly spherical, up to 2 inches long, green, becoming yellow at maturity, edible with a sweet pulp similar to citrus.

Other Common Names
Passionflower
Maypops
Size

Height: vine climbing 6–8 feet; spread: 3–6 feet.

Where To Find
image of Passion Flower Passionflower Maypops distribution map

Mostly south of Missouri River; although cultivated potentially statewide, it is native only in southern Missouri.

Occurs in sandy fields, fencerows, low alluvial ground, waste areas, roadsides, and railroads. Cultivated statewide. A relative of the tropical passion fruit, this species is native to the southeastern United States, including southern Missouri. For its genus, this species is relatively hardy, but individuals may not survive Missouri's coldest winters. It reseeds readily, however.

The genus name, Passiflora, is applied to this group of plants because of their unusual flowers. Apparently, Spanish explorers fancifully associated the floral structures with the story of Christ's crucifixion—the fringe representing the crown of thorns, and so on. The species name, incarnata, means "in the flesh" or "incarnate." The common name "maypops" refers to the fruits, which in the South ripen in May and pop when crushed.

A fascinating native vine for landscaping. The bizarre flowers attract attention—and butterflies. Ripe fruits are edible raw or made into jellies. The vine climbs via tendrils. The roots can spread aggressively, but in our zone the vines die back to the ground in winter.

Passion flowers are food plants for larval Gulf and variegated fritillary butterflies. The flowers require cross-pollination in order for their seeds to be viable, and bumblebees and carpenter bees are some of the pollinators.

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About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!