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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.
November 2010
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Port Washington Garden Club, PO
Box 492, Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074
Registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization