Passiflora

Photo Credit: Scott R. Vrana, use by permission only.

As the readers of this blog know, I develop "passionate" (ha!) interests in a particular species or variety of plant on a regular basis.  One year, banana plants, the next year voodoo lilies, then cotton.  For a long time, I had a strong interest in passion flowers and I still enjoy them to this day.  I started planting native passifloras in the garden and non-natives in pots about 5 years ago.  They are strikingly beautiful plants, and I have written about them before.  But native passifloras are quite strong growers, at least in my climate and yard. In the heat of the summer, they grown quickly, and need to be thinned or removed before they smother other plants.  However, they are not too difficult to manage.  Keep them sheared back and pull volunteers that are unwelcome.  If they fruit, remove the fruits before they fall to the ground and set their seeds.  Easy-to-grow, and beautiful to the eye, they do need some maintenance.

Oh, for information about the name "passion" flower, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora   This plant is named for the passion of Christ...not for other...er...connotations.

Happy gardening!