One of my favorite weeds is beginning to bloom. I'm always amazed that a flower so beautiful and exotic-looking is a native wildflower, and even considered an invasive pest by some.
Passionflower is a native, perennial vine growing in the southeastern United States. Its vine can be up to 25 feet long and climbs with axillary tendrils or sprawls along the ground. It spreads by root suckers. The vine dies back to the ground during winter, but re-emerges in the spring.
Passionflowers are often purple, but can range from a deep purple to almost pure white. All passionflowers I've found around here are white, although you can see a slight tinge of purple in some of the fringe. Many different pollinators from bees to butterflies nectar on the passionflower and it is a larval host for Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, Crimson-patch longwing, Red-banded hairstreak, Julia butterfly, Mexican butterflies.
(More information and photos at Floridata.)
.
Oh man, I love passion flowers too and I had no idea they were native. I had one last year, but last winter it died back to the ground. Then it went ahead and died the rest of the way. Oh well, if I get one soon I'm sure it will be huge in no time.
ReplyDeleteI wish they would grow in our zone. It isn't hardy here though. Such a beautiful bloom on this vine.
ReplyDeleteLovely! I'd like to trade Passionflower vines for whatever it is that seems to be taking over the fence, and every other verticle thing, in my "back forty." I need to break out the Roundup.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous flower. They don't grow this far north in Missouri, at least not as far as I have ever seen. This photo looks decidedly lavender. If we could have invasives like this......I wouldn't complain
ReplyDeletebeautiful
ReplyDeletebeautiful
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was a native. I haven't seen one around here but maybe I can plant it from a native nursery.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of these along the riverbanks. I love them!
ReplyDeleteNot something we have here but what a beautiful photo you took....Michelle
ReplyDeleteAn exquisite photo, Marvin!
ReplyDeleteHi Marvin
ReplyDeleteThis wild passion flower is simply gorgeous. It is so delicate yet complex. The colors are elegant, and how you captured it all in a perfect photograph is just incredible. Thank you for sharing this.
Wild_Bill:www.wildramblings.com
Hi Marvin! This is an extraordinary photograph!! Wow! Hope you've been doing well. I've been a bit 'out of the loop', but I'm back and getting ready to take a leisurely 'scroll' through your posts to see what I've missed. How's your garden? ~karen
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and amazing flower.
ReplyDeleteA very good photo.
Marvin, I'd like to know more about the metal hoops you have pictured covering your beans a couple of years ago. We're building 'rabbitats' to house feral rabbits and this may be a way of letting them nibble on the tips of the plants without detroying them. Sorry for hijacking these comments! rabbitats@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteLovely photo. I wonder how anyone could consider it an invasive pest if it is native to the area!?!?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone in the Ozarks eat the fruit? Here in Panama, it's a favorite. Try it if you have a chance. The fruit is ripe when it starts to wrinkle.
I've tried to eat passion flower fruit, but wildlife always seem to beats me to them before they are fully ripe.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, this early season photo may be the only one I'm able to take this year. Our summer ended up very hot and dry. The vines devoted all their energy to just staying alive and produced no more flowers.
Love store, beautiful photo.
ReplyDeleteThe first flower my son ever gave me was a passion flower from our neighbours vines he was growing on his front porch.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower. Great photo.
ReplyDelete