Download Plant Identification Guide

Plant Identification Guide
Purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
Also Known As: Wild passionflower, maypop, apricot vine, old
field apricot, Holy-Trinity flower, mayapple, molly-pop, passion
vine, popapple, granadilla, maycock, maracoc, maracock, white
sarsaparilla
Plant Family: Passion-flower family (Passifloraceae)
Did you know? “The Houma, Cherokee and other Native American tribes used
purple passionflower for food, drink, and medicinal purposes. The plant was also
used as a sedative to treat nervous conditions and hysteria.” Contributed by:
USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center
Identification Hints
Passion flowers have 3 to 4 prominent
club like stigmas, 5 large stamens,
and a large, sometimes edible,
egg-like fruit. The 10 petals have
a large ring of hair-like segments
above them. These flowers can be
distinguished by the purple petals,
the three lobed finely toothed leaves
and because it is a vine. It is one of
the few passion flowers that can
tolerate frost. Yellow passionflower
(P. lutea) can also occur in frost-prone
areas but has greenish-yellow petals.
Bracted passionflower (P. affinis)
can be found in Texas but also has
greenish-yellowish flowers. A tropical
species, blue passionflower (P.
caerulea) is widely cultivated and has
leaves with 5 lobes, a woody stem,
and a large edible fruit over 2 in (6
cm) long.
Plant Description
The plant is a vine that climbs with
tendrils, and can range from 6 to 20 ft
(2 to 6 m) long.
Flowers: The spectacular flowers are
pale lavender or, rarely, white with
five petals. The complex flower has a
“crown” or corona of numerous fringelike segments that arise from above the
petals. The corona is white or lavender
with purple bands.
Comments
Fruits: The fruit of the purple passion
flower is called a maypop, but is really
a berry and the fleshy portion is filled
with seeds. They are about the size of a
hen’s egg, and have yellow/green skin.
The pulp is juicy, and tastes similar to
an apricot or guava, but with a stronger
and more aromatic flavor.
Habitat: Purple passionflower is
common in open or cultivated fields,
rocky slopes, thin woods, roadsides,
fencerows and thickets. Purple
passionflowers require direct sunlight
for at least half of the day. The plants
prefer fertile, well-drained soils but will
grow in heavier clay soils.
Bloom time: Summer (June to
September), depending on location.
Leaves: The alternate 3-lobed leaves
have finely-toothed edges.
Information source: USDA Plants Database (plants.
usda.gov/java/nameSearch); Photo courtesy of
Thomas G. Barnes @ USDANRCS PLANTS Database
budburst.org
| CITIZEN SCIENCE
Timing is everything!
© 2013 NEON, Inc. All rights reserved.