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Wildflower Spot – August 2008 John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society Passiflora incarnata Roman Catholic friar in Mexico in the early 1600’s.The passionflowers Symbolism to were the Christiandiscovered passion by a By Helen Hamilton, President of the John Clayton Chapter, abounds. The combined sepals and petals PassionflowerVNPS Vine Two species of this tropical- who denied, and Judas who could represent 10 apostles (omitting Peter Virginia, growing in most countieslooking flower in the arecoastal native and to betrayed), the five anthers = the piedmont regions. The large thefive hammers,wounds, the the column three stigmas of the ovary = the cross, the stamens = in intricate layers, fringed in lavender flowers are arranged = the three nails. along the edges and 3-lobed. already used the plant in folk Emergingthe center. late Leaves in the are spring, toothed medicineHowever, andAmerican as an aphrodisiac,Indians attaching a different meaning to blooms rampantly all summer, thenpassionflower often disappears vine grows in and used to combat theinsomnia plant’s and name. anxiety. Chemists A writer have grazing of the caterpillars of the fritillary found drugs in passionflower October and November under the voracious thingsin southern they doAppalachia start to bother advises: you. “After So you you take have Tendrilsbutterflies. permit climbing up a tree or on a fence, lived with someone for many years the little but it is often found sprawling along the ground tea. Pretty soon you start to relax and the little where it blooms just as passionately. In a thingssome passionflower don’t bother you leaves so much and make and you you get a intocontrolled the ground. garden or flower bed, passionflower Thealong fruit fine.” is greenish-yellow, edible and makes vine should be planted in a large container, sunk reported that in Virginia the Indians planted a woods and fencerows in southeastern U.S. and wilda very fruit good like jelly. a lemon, In 1612 which Captain begins Smith to ripen BermudaPassionflower and west vine togrows Oklahoma in fields, and pine Texas. Any soil will do, rich is preferred. Full sun produces in September. Passionflower is also known plant has deep roots and will colonize to form as “maypop”, referring to the sound the fruit more flowers, drainage can be moist to dry. The makes when stepped upon. It is the official state wildflower of Tennessee. groundcover. The flowers are visited by butterflies such as Passiflora lutea, also native to Virginia, is not - permittingthe variegated the fritillaryentire lifecycle and zebra of these longwing, beautiful quite as showy, with smaller yellow flowers and who lay eggs on the stems and leaves a small black berry as fruit. Native passionflow er vine is often sold in local nurseries, but be eatbutterflies. the fruit. Hummingbirds v and bees also visit careful, the leaves of non-native passionflower the flowers, but beware, deer and rabbits may Photo:vines have more than 3 lobes.Passiflora incarnata) taken by Helen Hamilton . Passionflower vine ( For more information about native plants visit www.vnps.org.

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