Plant of the Month: Passionflower Vine

By: Judy Stout, Mobile County Master Gardener

Passiflora incarnata, the Passionflower Vine or May Pop, is a native vine found throughout the southeast and Bermuda.  This herbaceous, root-hardy perennial has spectacular flowers, making it a popular feature plant for fences, trellises or pergolas.  Dead growth needs to be cut back after colder weather.  Left unpruned, vines aggressively climb and can grow up to twenty-five feet long. Plants are drought tolerant and can succeed on soil from loam to sand.  Soil too moist may cause root rot.  Plants may spread by seeds from the May Pop fruit - with low germination rates, but new plants often pop-up yards away from the original spreading by underground root suckers.  Green leaves of this plant are important larval food for several butterflies, especially our Gulf Fritillary, and flowers also provide nectar for a variety of nectar feeders/pollinators.