Passionflower / Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)
A native treasure of the southeastern United States! Passionflowers grow on long vines and the stunning blooms and fruits that form from the flowers grow from Texas to Florida and throughout the southeast up to Pennsylvania.
Not only are the fruits edible and delicious, the plant has known medicinal properties and the Cherokee call it the plant "Ocoee" which the Ocoee river valley is named in its honor. The fruits which form from the pollinated blooms have a delicously sweet and tart flavor. Most of the flesh of the fruit surrounds the hard black seeds so they're a little tricky to eat but they're well worth the effort. Passionflower fruits also make great jams if you have the time and patience to work around the seeds!
Passionflower was so named by Spanish missionaries as a teaching tool to explain the passion of Christ - with many of the flower parts representing elements of the last days of Jesus and His crucifixion (10 petals and sepals = 10 faithful apostles; 5 stamens = 5 wounds; 3 stigmas = 3 nails; corona = crown of thorns).
Passionflower is a perennial plant that blooms in the second year and will become a summer star of the garden once it finds a happy home to grow in.
Origin: The parent seed of our Passionflower comes from the garden of Papa's childhood home in Asheville, NC. The same plant has grown in the garden there for over forty years.
(Approximately 15 seeds per packet)
Germination Rate: See Planting Instructions Below
Planting Instructions: Passionflower seeds are known to be difficult to germinate. Here are a few methods to try: Place seeds in a moist paper towel in the refrigerator for one month before planting into warm, well draining soil. Alternatively, try soaking in warm water for 2 days and then nicking slightly with a blade before planting. Germination can take at least one month. Another method is to plant the seeds in the fall and allow them to overwinter in freezing temperatures for germination in the spring. Passionflower is a spreading perennial, and if it likes where it has been planted, it could grow long roots underground, popping up in nearby beds in coming years.
