Purple Passionflower (Murfreesboro Indigenous Plant Project (MIPP) Guide)

Purple Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

Summary ⁵

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is a common wildflower in the southern United States. The Cherokee in the Tennes

Description ⁵

The stems can be smooth or pubescent; they are long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. Leaves are alternate and palmately 3-lobed and occasionally 5-lobed, measuring 6–15 centimetres (2.4–5.9 in). They have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole. Flowers have five bluish-white petals. They exhibit a white and purple corona, a structure of fine appendages between the petals and stamens. The large flower is typically arranged in a ring above the petals and sepals. The flower normally begins to bloom in July.

The fleshy fruit, also referred to as a maypop, is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green at first, but then becomes yellow as it matures.

Distribution and Habitat ⁶

The maypop occurs in thickets, disturbed areas, near riverbanks, and near unmowed pastures, roadsides, and railroads. It thrives in areas with plentiful sunlight. It is not found in shady areas beneath a forest canopy.^{[citation needed]}

Ecology ⁵

They are pollinated by insects such as bumblebees and carpenter bees, and are self-sterile.

As with other passifloras, it is the larval food of a number of lepidoptera species, including the zebra longwing, the Gulf fritillary, the crimson-patched longwing, the Julia, the Plebeian sphinx, and the variegated fritillary. In many cases its fruit is very popular with wildlife. The egg-shaped green fruits 'may pop' when stepped on. This phenomenon gives the P. incarnata its common name, as well as the fact that its roots can remain dormant for most of the winter underground and then the rest of the plant "pops" out of the ground by May, unharmed by the snow.

Sources and Credits

(c) Geoff Gallice, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_ggallice_-_Purple_Passionflower.jpg
(c) Danny Barron, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/56398280@N00/620149525
(c) Bob Hargrave, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maypop_Passiflora_Incarnata_(219789423).jpeg
(c) Angelo Ciacciulli., some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frutto_passiflora_incarnata.JPG
Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata
(c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Form	Vine
Light	Full sun, Part sun
Soil moisture	Medium
Site	Disturbed areas, Meadow, Savanna, Woodland
Bloom period	June, July, August, September
Bloom color	Purple/violet, White
Fruit/seeds/etc.	Pods
Wildlife supported	Birds - songbirds, Insects - larval host, Insects - pollinators
Family	Passionfruit Family

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