While most passionflowers are native to the Neotropicos, the showy blooms of the Missouri-native purple passionflower can add a exotic touch to your home garden.
What are passionflowers?
Passifloraceae, the passion-flower family, comprises more than 650 species. The flowering plants can grow as small trees or shrubs or as vines that climb using tendrils. Many passionflowers produce edible fruit and a dozen species are cultivated commercially.
Passionflowers have a “corona” or crown made up of many colored filaments at the base of the petals. This reminded devout early Catholic explorers of Christ’s crown in the crucifixion story, or passion, giving rise to the name we use today.
Did you know? Any appendage that intervenes between the corolla and stamens, as the cup of a Daffodil or the rays of a Passion-flower, is called a corona.
Nearly all of these species are in the tropical Americas, with a small handful in Southeast Asia.
Where Are purple passionflowers from?
Purple passionflowers, Passiflora incarnata, are native of the Southeastern U.S., including southern Missouri. They are one of only two native passionflower species in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. The small yellow passionflower, P. lutea, is the other.
In the wild, purple passionflowers usually grow in sandy soils, low moist woods and open areas. One of the hardiest passionflowers, they are easily cultivated.
What does it look like?
The purple passionflower is a climbing vine with striking flowers.
The blooms have a fringed flowers with white or pale purple petals. Fine, wavy white and purple rays of filaments extend from its central corona. The flowers bloom from July to September.
Purple passionflower plants produce green egg-shaped fruits commonly called “maypops.” “Maypop” comes from the Native American word for the species, maracoc, which Captain John Smith noted in 1608. The fruits also make a loud popping sound when stepped on.
Drunk bees?
Carpenter bees, a bumblebee doppleganer, adapted to pollinate purple passionflowers.
Human observances, dating back to even the 19th century, describe bees getting “drunk” on the nectar of passion flowers.
“I regret exceedingly to be obliged to announce the fact, that bumble bees are sometimes given to tippling. It seems that the nectar in the passion flower has an intoxicating effect upon these creatures, and that they now and then indulge in excessive drinking, when this beverage is within their reach. Instead of being content with a moderate draught, like orderly and temperate bees, they yield to temptation, and drink until they are quite drunk. They become so stupid, indeed, from their intemperate drinking, that they scarcely can fly home to their nest; and it sometimes happens, that one may see half a dozen of these poor creatures lying on the ground, near the goblet which has so grossly intoxicated them, and entirely unable to stir an inch. The dunces! They are almost as silly as the human drunkards that we too frequently meet with.”
Exert from Wonders of the Insect World by Francis Channing Woodworth, 1853
It is true that nectar can ferment. Yeasts naturally ferment the sugars in nectar into alcohol. Research shows that many or most pollinators will continue to visit the flowers that contain ethanol.
But, bees are not drinking intentionally looking for alcohol or drinking to excess. Instead, small amounts of alcohol can easily affect their tiny bodies.
David Stang, courtesy of Tropicos.
Other animal use
The caterpillars of Missouri native variegated fritillary butterfly, Euptoieta claudia, feed on the purple passionflower’s leaves.
Gulf fritillary butterflies, Dione vanillae, also eat purple passionflowers. These butterflies are native and relatively common in the Southeastern U.S. and South America, and on rare occasions migrate as far north as Missouri. Despite its name, this butterfly is not technically a Fritillary butterfly, but more closely related to longwings like postman, which all feed on passionflowers.
The seeds are dispersed by fruit-eating animals including foxes, skunks, opossums, and rabbits.
Human Use
Ripened maypops are edible. To ensure the fruit is ripe, you can wait harvest until they fall off the fine. The fruit’s flavor is similar to tropical passionfruit, but not quite as sweet. There is much variation in the taste, however, with some tasting skunky.
Many people like to make maypop jam or jelly. Other maypop recipes include baked goods, like a fruitcake, cocktails or mocktails, and vinaigrettes.
Purple passionflower contain a mild sedative. This comes from harmane alkaloids, which can be good for insomnia and anxiety.
Adding passionflowers to your garden
Purple passionflowers are fast-growing and easy to maintain. The plants grow well in full sun and part shade. Home gardeners can train the vine to cover trellises, arbors, walls or fences. The plant spreads by root suckers and can grow to cover large areas. The roots spread aggressively and can quickly take over a space!
Look for these and other native beauties in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve!
Catherine Martin
Senior Public Information Officer
Many thanks to Chris Hartley, Manager, Living Collections, Education and Facilities at the Butterfly House, John MacDougal, Associate Garden Scientist, and Wendy Applequist, Assistant Scientist in the Garden’s Willam L. Brown Center for Ethnobotany, for information contributed to this blog.
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