Passion Flowers and/or Maypops! Let's see yours?!?

Hi, all--

I just dropped into a short discussion on another thread about Passifloras and butterflies and thought someone out there on this forum with some passion flower experience can tell us how they work best for the BFs and others can show their vines and let us know how well the butterflies like them...and which ones use it as a host plant...

Here are some questions that come to my mind right now---

First of all, are all red ones toxic as a host plant? or are any red ones even toxic at all? or what's that all about? And any scientific evidence to suport this toxic assertion or is all info basically hear-say?!? (I saw a gorgeous pic of "Lady Margaret" and it looks red yet some say it's fine for BFs.)

And I just got my first common 'Maypop' (bluish) from a friend this summer and so far no butterflies seem interested. Others say they barely get theirs into the ground and it's deluged with visitors....what do I need to do? Anyone know? Is mine a lemon?

And mine's in a pot. Can I winter it over in the garage or just keep it outside? Zone 6a

Any thoughts, ideas, advice on Passiflora/passion flower/maypops and butterflies? Would love to hear it and see pics!

Thanks so much. t.

I cannot answer your questions T about the passiflora or show any pics because well you know I don't know how to use my camera yet and mine is just about eaten up from the gulf frits I have in my cages. But that is okay, it is a good cause and from what people say it should come back next year in full force. Cannot wait to see people's pics though. I have heard about the reds being toxic. Would love to know the answer to that too because I bought some seeds and they are the red ones.

Leslie

Tabasco,

First of all welcome!! Did you see I am trying to start a passiflora forum in DG? Please vote with us??

next...you ask "are all red ones toxic as a host plant?" I wil tell you that I had a huge plant growing in the yard. Finally it bloomed and found out they were reds. beghind hiding in the corner was a little tiny pitiful purple passi. The butterflis would fly past the huge one and ONLY lay eggs on the purple. After a whole season of this happening, I ripped out the entire red one and planted a blue one. they ate that one something fierce also.

And any scientific evidence to suport this toxic assertion or is all info basically hear-say?!? (I saw a gorgeous pic of "Lady Margaret" and it looks red yet some say it's fine for BFs.) I just got a new one and it finally bloomed and it is a lady margaret. I did find fritillary babies on it and they ate it so I think that one will be fine. i do notice the leaves are tougher for them but they do eat it.

About your 'Maypop', if there are no butterflies in your area that were Born and hosted on a Maypop, they won;t usually lay eggs on them from what i hear. they lay on the same type they were born on.

Ina pot and overwintering for Zone 6a I am a 9A zone so I keep mine outside all year. I do hear of alot of DG people say they overwinter theres inside the house or garage.

Let me post my newest Lady MArgaret

Oh, that one is absolutely gorgeous!

And thanks for sharing your observations on the red passifloras as a butterfly host plant.

I just found this wonderful thread over in the "Vines and Climbers" forum that covers a lot of information about Passifloras and has some great photos

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/751240/

I looked at the list of passifloras available from Logee's --

http://www.logees.com/products.asp?dept=177&pagenumber=2&sort_on=title&sort_by=

and they stock quite a range of them.

Probably many folks on DG would be interested in a Passiflora forum--of course, they probably would all be writing in asking how to kill all the 'worms' on their passies! Just joking...or not?

Happy gardening. t.



This message was edited Aug 11, 2007 1:33 PM

I do belong to a few groups that can;t figure out how to kill the cats. it makes me crazy, I just want them to ship them to me the poor things.

I am trying to germinate lots of different types of seeds right now. hoepefully they will take and I can share little potted plants soon.

Flutter

I saw your message in our other thread about the society meeting. i belong to every one of these forums so i figured other people were too.

In September there is going to be a meeting for all Passiflora lovers. it happens once every 2 years and what a great time to get interested!! For more info, go here

http://www.passiflora.org/

Hope to see you there ( I think we should all wear our website names so we know who each of us are :)

Flutter

I would love to go to the meeting, but a bit far for me to travel at the moment. I looked up the Passiflora Society website in hopes of finding some good pics and info but not much to be found. They did list a zillion links, though, and sometime I will have to check them out.

I would love to learn to start some seeds. First I have to find a bright window where they can pass the wintertime....

I took a pic of my ordinary passiflora today-- Not so special, but pretty to me (and I hope the BFs!)

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 2:04 PM

I'm interested to hear how they overwinter, I'm also zone 6a.
I'm currently trying to get a snail vine to root from cuttings but no luck yet. Not that I have any extra room, but if it brings butterflies, I'll try everything!!

Tabasco-
I went to a lecture last year with Mark Minno who is a Florida Butterfly expert. He says that "the Reds" are toxic...now maybe thats just here in Fl but I've never had success with any red passi's at all. I've had P. incarnata or Maypop for 3 years and it doesn't get much action. This year the Frits are loving the P. cerulea and I must say that I am too. This Passi produces tons of leaves so I always have plenty of food! I have (and adore) P.suberosa.

Enjoy!

Adrienne

The Gulf frit cats that I am raising now came off of a Red passi. I don't know why the mom put them there. I took 7 eggs off, and raised them on caerulea.

2 out of the 7 enclosed this morning. : )

~Lucy

Tabasco, was looking for more of my passi pictures. here is another

Lavendar LAdy

Hi All,

I found one lonely 'Lady Margaret' seedling at our local nursery. I coaxed it along throughout the Spring and Summer and it has blessed me with a bounty of blooms nearly every other day, sometimes I get five blooms in one day. Anyway, I am really glad that this thread was started because I haven't found any Fritillary eggs, just plenty of ants and bees, lots and lots of bees. I didn't realize that the red passiflora could be toxic. I guess I will try to grow one of the other species next Spring. I am going to try and over winter this one. Here is one of my favorite photos of the lovely lady:



This message was edited Aug 14, 2007 7:37 PM

Not sure about the red passion vine, Mine needs more sun, but not going to move it in this heat. My purple passion vine is one I brought from Florida and I am sure it is the 'wild' kind. It was eaten up the first year by the gulf frit. It came back this year and is a real jungle.. now covered with cats..
Elaine

Side View pic taken of my MayPop by my DH.

The Lady Margaret is not toxic. It's the only red that isn't that I know of. Mine are eating it and thriving.

Maggie

Maggie,

That's good news. Maybe I will have better luck next year. I have only seen on Frit this summer in my area.

bedouin--I couldn't get that google image search to open up. Sorry.

I guess no one with good experience will share advice on overwintering the Passif? I tried to overwinter one last year, but didn't know what the heck I was doing and I think I killed it in the garage (too cold?). Maybe this one I will bring inside in the fall.

So many different and pretty passion flowers...I think what it is about the reds--the tropical ones are the dangerous ones and the more temperate red ones like Lady Margaret are OK. Still haven't seen any research, though.

Pretty exciting to get frits eggs/cats on your passion flowers! None on ours, though. Still waiting.

I'm glad you posted the Passiflora Society meeting info. I bet there will be a great seed exchange there. After you figure out how to start the seeds, you can share the techniques with all of us. From what I've read some passifloras can be fussy that way.

I didn't have any on mine until Debnes brought some by for me, and then Sugarfoot, another DGer in the vacinity had so many she was running out of food. She loaded up a bunch and dropped them off at my house. It was raining so I grabbed some vine and put in a cage before she arrived. They went to town right away. I took them out the next day and released them on my vine. Debnes said that the Gulf Frits would find my plant from the scent after some of them eclosed. Sure enough, I have had several cats on the vine this year after that. I see more and more flying around too.

This message was edited Aug 15, 2007 9:44 PM

Wow, what a 'mess o' cats' you have there! And what a nice DG friends you make when you have passiflora and cats to share around. What fun!

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 2:03 PM

Tabasco,

I have a Lady Margaret, and the gulf frit cats do just fine on it. I do have a problem with assassin bugs eating the juvenile cats. I flick them off the vine when I see them, but they can fly, so that's a losing battle. Once the cats get to the third instar the assassin bugs seem to leave them alone. Every week I find one or two large GF cats on the vine. I've even found a couple of chrysalises, but where the rest of them go to pupate is still somewhat of a mystery. They do reach the last instar stage without any problems.

Here's a few blooms on the Lady Margaret.

Mark

Thanks, bedouin-- What a fabulous passiflora collection and interesting photos that fellow has!


I got Henk's site to come up with this link: http://www.hewo.nl/passiflora%20species/Thumbnails.html

Hi, tabasco
I was wondering how you over winter Lady M.? I have native Maypop. Do you grow then in pots and bring them in for the winter? I love vines.

Teresa in Ky

Well, believe me, I am the last one to ask! I tried to overwinter a beautiful one in a pot last year in my garage, but I think it got overdry or too cold and kicked off on me.

I have a much smaller common 'maypop' in a pot and I think I will put it in a sunny window this winter and treat it like a houseplant. Now the common 'maypop' is pretty hardy and grows in the wild here, so that could even stay out planted in the garden, I would think...in the pot it would probably freeze out, I would think.

I think overwintering may depend on how hardy the passiflora is and the conditions you can offer. If you have one that is barely hardy or not hardy in your zone planted in the garden, I think it would be pretty difficult to dig them and bring them in. ....maybe take cuttings?

I am 9B so no need to overwinter so can;t help you there. As far {Tabasco} as the seed exchange, being a member of the Passi society does have those perks and when we go to the annual meeting, we can get lots of cuttings. THAT is exciting to me. I just bought a heat mat for my seeds and have 3 growing with just using my sons turtle light and a heating pad. I do notice that the pellets get cold though so I had to break down and get a mat. I have like 6 of each type in the pots so if they "Pop" and grow, I will share :)

Flutter

I was at Butterfly World on Tuesday. I do have a question about joining the Passiflora Society at Butterfly World. I should have asked when I was there, but oh, it was soooo busy! Can one take a guest into Butterfly World with the Passiflora Soc. membership? I have a BW annual membership, but cant take a guest in on it. At Fairchild Tropical Gardens, I am able to do so with my membership card. Its always a case of going to Butterfly World with one pal or I go alone, as none of my other pals want to spend the huge $ entry fee for just a few hours of enjoyment. And of course unless they go and see its worth it, they never end up joining. It would be a good marketing ploy to allow members to have the one guest privilege! Anyhow, if anyone has info on this, I'd appreaciate a reply.

Bedoin,
Bummer we couldn't meet up. I went last Friday with the kids. YOu can take a guest. I was going to Pay for hubby but awesome Sarah told me he could come as a guest as long as I was a Society paid member. I don't have a membership to BW although i should and when I have gone in the past, I went to enjoy the Butterflies.

I joined the Society about a month ago. When I went last week I went with my kids and my Dad (He lives down there) and we were all guests. As long as we don't overuse our rights as a member, I know Sarah will work with us. I just had to call her in enough advance so she could add our name to the guest list. We spent the day taking pictures of and studying all the plants (Well, the kids paid more attention to the Butterflies) but I went to see the plants this time. BW didn't lose out as we spent over $100 in 3 passi plants and a ton of seeds as well as goodies for the kids.

Flutter

tabasco - could you shorten your adderss so I don't have to scroll over to get the whole reading? If you shortened Cincinnati to Cini it might help.

I'm into growing some native passiflora (down here we call it Maypop) My main interest is in a native type (zone 7b) passi that will care for itself. We have a variety that grows wild here, but I'm having trouble finding the seed pods. I had one beauty spotted but the mowers got there first! I am also looking into Butterfly weed and other types of "butterfly friendly" flowers that will grow without a lot of attention and care.

I have declared a ban on all "bought" plants - from now on I'm going native/natural and I'm looking for info about what I might bring into my property (combo of red clay and limestone - does it get any worse!???!!) that will fit in without upseting the native balance.

Is my address what's doing this? It doesn't do it on any other forum I'm on!?! I know it's annoying and I'll see what can be done.

I don't know what has made it so wide - just looked like your addy was wider than most, so thought that was the problem. I haven't had a wide screen on other threads - I guess I mistakenly assumed it was your addy because it was the longest. Sorry, but I *really* want to follow this thread since it is about a plant I'm hoping to grow more of!

I grew up making ballerinas out of "maypop" flowers and never really understood that I was "killing" the seeds (also ate the sweet pulp). Now I know that I need to keep some seed for future plants!
ginni

I think the stretching of this thread started after bedouin's post number 3861979, starting with the line.... images.google.com/imgres?imgurl..etc..etc...

That's when I noticed it anyway. : )

~Lucy

Maydreams27, does that mean that each time one goes to BW with a Passi Society member card, one can take a guest, or must one call beforehand to have the guests name put on a list beforehand.....every time?

I have some butterfly plant seeds from my garden if anyone would like some; send a small SASBE with the names of the seeds you've asked for on the back of the envelope you mail to ME. That way I can just pop the seeds in without having to look up what goes to whom! Anyhow, if you are interested Dmail me for mailing particulars. I'll probably post this info on another thread as I dont want to keep the seeds for any length of time. I have these:
Giant porterweed - Red
Porterweed - royal blue.
Porterweed - red/bluish
Porterweed - pink. only 2.
Aristolochia Gibertii - small pipevine
Aristolochia Ringens - 12" pipevine
Aristolochia Fimbriata - mini pipevine
salvia Pink and red mixed seeds
Cestrum Diurnum 5 seeds, Fragrance of milk chocolate
Passiflora?? I thought its 'Inspiration' but Flores (BW Nursery manager) says it cant be as its a Hybrid.......Anyhow the fruit is small & deliciously sweet.
Passiflora McCain. Self fertilizing. Delicious tart fruit

Lucy, I think you may be right!

Now to get it shortened so it reads without scrolling will be the challenge! Why did that post widen things? What needs to be done to fix it? Sometimes the links can get a bit screwy? Hopefully we can sort this out, 'cause I Really want more info on the passifloras but can't see all the fiddling to get to it (I'm always in a hurry!)

Hey bedouin - can you edit your post to take out the bad link and see if that might be the problem? I have read other posts by tabasco with no wide screen so I didn't (still don't) understand why it all of a sudden went wide. You are the next guess?!

Whatever - I hope to get some good info from here!!!
ginni

Wow, wasn't that a quick response from Dave on the thread width?

He said it had to do with the Link in Bedouin's thread. Apparently the google image search addresses are a bit too long for automatic management. Basically to find the Henk's passiflora site/page we would have to do a regular google search for it and then copy and paste the full address when we open the Henk's page. Does any of that make sense? LOL

Well, thank goodness it's fixed. I was afraid the wide pages were part of the new 'look' and new features we see on DG now!

Wow - now it's right again! What did I miss?!

I'm sorry I interrupted this thread but now I will look forward to lots more info for this beautiful plant!

beduion - you will have dmail soon - I just need to get my info together and I'll let you know what will be listed on the SASBE.

tabasco - I'm sorry I put a glitch in your thread - but hopefully, all is well now. I'm looking forward to lots more goodies from lots more people!
ginni

No, not at all, tgif. It was making me crazy, too. Dave was really quick to fix it though. What amazing 'customer service'! (He must like the thread, too!)

I'm d-mailing bedouin too about her nice offer. Pretty exciting, I think.

Did everyone get to look at the Passiflora page that bedouin was pointing out, by the way? It has some fabulous information and pics on it.

tgif I deleted the post. Sorry about that! I had no idea there would be a problem!

Bedoin, I would not take advantage of the visitor but if you want to bring someone once in a blue (perhaps someone interested in joining the society) You would call ahead and talk to Sarah and SEE if you could get them in. For the annual meeting, I had to "register" hubby but not pay for him.

I am going to send you SASE for these 2. Do you have them stored in pulp?

Passiflora?? I thought its 'Inspiration' but Flores (BW Nursery manager) says it cant be as its a Hybrid.......Anyhow the fruit is small & deliciously sweet.
Passiflora McCain. Self fertilizing. Delicious tart fruit

Flutter

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 2:11 PM

Maydreams27, Passiflora seeds in pulp? Alas no! They have been washed off and dried. The pulp I consumed with great alacrity and enjoyment!