This Month in the Garden (July 2010)

Most people think of passion flowers as tropical plants but, with care, Passiflora incarnata or the Maypop passion flower (U.S. zones 5 to 9) will grow in Wisconsin gardens.

Passion flowers got their common name in the early 1500’s when Catholic missionaries to the New World felt they displayed signs of Christ’s suffering on the cross.  The plants are vines with trifoliate leaves and in warm climates will bear both new flowers and fruits at the same time.

Passiflora incarnata is native to the sandy soils of the southeastern U.S. The common name comes from its habit of rapidly pushing new growth out of the ground in May in areas where it dies back to the soil line in winter.

Maypop has light lavender flowers and will need winter protection in Wisconsin.  Grow Maypop in a sunny, protected location, near a south facing wall or under a roof overhang and use four to six inches of winter mulch.  The vine is drought tolerant when established and can be propagated from seed or spring cuttings.  Seeds should be soaked 24 hours before planting and may take up to a year to germinate.  The soft wood cuttings should be taken early in the year and will have to be overwintered indoors and planted out the following spring.

Ripe passion flower fruits are the size of hen’s eggs and may resemble small kiwis.  They can be difficult to find since they are a popular food for wildlife.  Fritillaries and other butterflies also feed on the plant’s leaves in their larval forms.  Maypop fruit may be harvested for making jam and jelly and parts of the flower are used in herbal remedies. 

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November 2010
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July 2010
June 2010
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