| I am looking for a passion flower vine that grows in my Zone. I looked last year but had trouble finding a nursery that sells them. Do you know of a nursery in my area? Thank you in advance. |
| There are over 400 hundred species in the genus Passiflora. Most are tender evergreen tropical vines and most are commonly called passion flowers. Passiflora incarnata is an exception in that it is deciduous, can survive winter freezes and is commonly called maypop as well as passion flower. Maypop is a fast growing perennial vine that employs tendrils to grab hold of adjacent shrubs, structure and other supports to lift itself to heights of 8-12 ft. The large serrated leaves grow 5-6 in wide by 6 to 8 in (15-20 cm) long. They typically have three to five lobes and are arranged alternately on the stem with flowers and branches emerging from the axil (the base of the leaf stem where it attaches). All of the passion flowers have beautifully complex blossoms and maypop is no exception. These have 2-3 in diameters and are composed of 10 white tepals arranged in a shallow bowl shape above which is arranged fringe of purple and white filaments, called the corona. In the center is the white fleshy stigma surrounded by five stamens. Maypop grows in full to part sun in light, evenly moist soil. It is hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. In those zones it can die back to the ground in winter but recovers in spring. I think you would be stretching the gardening zone if you were to plant one in the ground, which is probably why you can't find plants locally. You can purchase through a mail order catalog or online if you decide to want to try to grow one. Best wishes with your garden! |
