Passiflora incarnata
| Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Passiflora incarnata [1] |
| Common names | maypop, purple passionflower, wild passion flower, apricot-vine [2] |
| Genus | Passiflora [1] |
| Family | Passifloraceae [1] |
| Order | Malpighiales [1] |
| Growth form | herbaceous perennial climbing or trailing vine [2] |
| Habitat | prairies, meadows, savannas, woodland edges and streambanks in the southeastern and south-central United States and Bermuda [2] [3] |
| Flowers | summer flowers; generally cross-pollinated, with carpenter bees important in a Florida field study [4] [6] |
| Fruit | ovoid yellowish berry with edible pulpy arils and many seeds [3] [4] |
| Propagation | seed, root cuttings and stem or shoot cuttings [5] |
Passiflora incarnata, commonly called maypop or purple passionflower, is a fast-growing herbaceous perennial vine with edible fruit. It climbs or trails through warm-season growth, then may die back above ground in cold climates and regrow from perennial roots and rhizomatous or sucker growth. [2] [3]
The species is accepted as Passiflora incarnata. [1] It is native to the southeastern and south-central United States and Bermuda, where it occurs in open and edge habitats rather than being restricted to dense forest. [2] [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
Maypop is a vigorous climbing or trailing vine that can reach about 25 feet where support and season length permit. Its perennial root system produces rhizomatous growth and root suckers, while stems can die back during winter in colder parts of its range. Give the plant a trellis or other support and allow room for vegetative spread. [2] [3]
Natural settings include prairies, meadows, savannas, woodland margins and streambanks. The combination of open exposure and access to moisture helps explain its usefulness on sunny garden edges, but the species can also grow in part shade. [3]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Use a well-drained soil containing clay, loam or sand, with organic matter and regular moisture during active growth. Rich soils are suitable when drainage remains adequate; persistently wet ground increases the risk of root problems. Keep newly planted vines watered while they establish, then adjust irrigation to rainfall, soil depth and the amount of active vine growth. [2] [3] [5]
Rhizomes and suckers can extend beyond the original planting point. Install a root barrier or remove unwanted shoots where a confined bed is important, and avoid placing the vine where its spread will be mistaken for a weakly rooted plant. [2] [4]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Give maypop full sun for strong flowering and fruiting, while recognizing that part shade is tolerated. A trellis, fence or other support keeps the fast-growing stems off the ground and makes pruning and harvest easier. [2] [3]
Its native habitats include open ground and woodland edges, so place the vine where foliage can dry after rain and where surrounding vegetation does not smother the crown. Maypop tolerates full sun to part shade, but no universal humidity or airflow threshold should be applied. [3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The native growth rhythm is strongly seasonal. Flowers are produced in summer, fruit develops over roughly two to three months, and ripe fruit is reported from summer into autumn, with July through October given for one southeastern-US cultivation account. [4]
In cold climates, stems can die back while the roots survive and send up new growth. Reduce irrigation when the vine is dormant and protect the root zone from prolonged saturation; resume support and training as new shoots emerge in spring. Adjust the timing to local temperature and rainfall rather than following a fixed calendar. [2] [3] [5]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed, root cuttings and stem or shoot cuttings are documented propagation routes. A specialist plant account gives a 12-hour warm-water soak followed by germination at about 20 °C, with emergence reported over a very broad one-to-twelve-month range; treat those figures as source-specific guidance rather than a guaranteed schedule. [5]
For mature seed, remove pulp before sowing; a university plant account recommends moist-cold storage after cleaning and also describes early-season stem cuttings about 6 to 8 inches long. Root cuttings are especially relevant when the goal is to preserve the rhizomatous plant material and its established growth habit. [2] [3]
One public first-hand growing report described no germination from an initial seed attempt, followed by multiple thriving vines with flowers or buds from a second seed batch after use of a germination guide. The grower had not yet obtained fruit, and the report gives no location or detailed conditions, so it is an individual propagation observation rather than a general germination result. [7]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Maypop flowers in summer and is generally cross-pollinated. In a Florida field study, carpenter bees were major pollinators; flower sex expression varied among plants and through the season, and manual cross-pollination increased individual fruit weight and seeds per fruit compared with naturally pollinated flowers. Those results describe the studied population and do not establish identical pollination behavior in every garden. [6]
Fruit develops over approximately two to three months after flowering. The ovoid berries become soft and yellowish at maturity, and a southeastern-US cultivation account gives a July-to-October harvest period. Harvest ripe fruit from the vine or shortly after natural drop, handling the soft berries gently. [3] [4]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The ripe maypop is an ovoid berry with yellowish skin, aromatic edible pulp and many seeds surrounded by pulpy arils. Ripe fruit can be eaten fresh or used for jelly. [2] [3] [4]
Edibility should be limited to properly identified ripe fruit. North Carolina State Extension separately flags poison characteristics and cyanogenic glycosides for leaves and stems, so those parts should not be treated as food or given the same safety status as ripe fruit. Medicinal claims are not included here. [2]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [6] May and Spears, “Andromonoecy and variation in phenotypic gender of Passiflora incarnata (Passifloraceae),” American Journal of Botany 75 (1988): 1830–1841.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Gc2 passiflora incarnata.jpg — botanical illustration of Passiflora incarnata; Hans-Simon Holtzbecker; Public domain. Individual file page. Attribution: Hans-Simon Holtzbecker / Wikimedia Commons; public domain.
