Plants of the UNF Campus
Passiflora incarnata - Maypop, Wild passion vine
Family Passifloraceae
Description:
About 350 species of Passiflora
are native to southeast Asia, South America,
and North America. They are vines and trees. Many
of the species have edible fruits and a few are grown commercially for their
fruits. This species is a herbaceous vine that dies back to the ground each
winter and recovers the following spring. The large flowers are white with purple
centers. The fruit is large, green and dimpled at maturity. The center contains
numerous seeds surrounded in a sweet-sour, juicy aril. The leaves contain
cyanide but are eaten by butterflies in the genus, Heliconius.
Several exotic passionvine species and hybrids are grown for
their flowers and their attraction to butterflies. Flower colors are highly
variable but the large flowered species are usually white, pink, red, or
purple.
Location:
See plants at the Lake Oneida parking (lot 100.)
Size:
Small vine to about ten feet or more high.
Care Instructions:
Light: sun, part shade
Water: well-drained soil, drought tolerant
Soil: adaptable to soil types, no other special requirements
In Jacksonville, this plant grows best in a sunny, well-drained site. They respond well to irrigtion and fertilizer but do not require extra care. The greatest limit to growing passion vines in northeast Florida is predation by butterfly caterpillars. They can strip a passion vine to bare stems in a few weeks.
Passiflora incarnata
Maypop, Wild passion vine
Passifloraceae
About 350 species of Passiflora
are native to southeast Asia, South America,
and North America. They are vines and trees. Many
of the species have edible fruits and a few are grown commercially for their
fruits. This species is a herbaceous vine that dies back to the ground each
winter and recovers the following spring. The large flowers are white with purple
centers. The fruit is large, green and dimpled at maturity. The center contains
numerous seeds surrounded in a sweet-sour, juicy aril. The leaves contain
cyanide but are eaten by butterflies in the genus, Heliconius.
Several exotic passionvine species and hybrids are grown for
their flowers and their attraction to butterflies. Flower colors are highly
variable but the large flowered species are usually white, pink, red, or
purple.
See plants at the Lake Oneida parking (lot 100.)
Small vine to about ten feet or more high.
sun, part shade
well-drained soil, drought tolerant
adaptable to soil types, no other special requirements
In Jacksonville, this plant grows best in a sunny, well-drained site. They respond well to irrigtion and fertilizer but do not require extra care. The greatest limit to growing passion vines in northeast Florida is predation by butterfly caterpillars. They can strip a passion vine to bare stems in a few weeks.
