My Maypops waited until July...

But then, they usually do. I see some growth in mid-June and first blossoms about the 4th. This is my idea of fireworks!

Passiflora incarnata -- passion flower, may pops

Hey Jeff,Love the fireworks!
What zone are you in?I just planted some maypops about three weeks ago.They are about three feet long and just starting to get buds.I live in NJ zone 5A or B according to who you ask.I'm wondering if they'll come back.

I'm in 6b...Southern MO. They've endured some miserable winters the last couple years.

pretty

Boy that is one exotic looking flower! Beautiful color. Wildflower.org says it is a larval host for 4 butterflies; do you see many around the plant?

We have a lot of butterflies around our backyard, but I haven't paid attention to see if any of them are particularly attracted to the passion flower. I'll pay attention now.

angele, I grow them mainly for that reason. They are the larval food of the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly. They're one on the long-wings, even though it's not that obvious. Caterpillars are orange with black bars and spines. At first glance, one might think they are viceroys or even monarchs but on closer look it's obvious. The caterpillars can eat the plants at an astonishing rate. Then they go off to to form chrysalis. Leeflea51

Sometimes I wish Texas would annex New Mexico, lol.
Lots of plants I covet seem to have a native status from Texas eastwards! This is one of them.
Being a butterfly host plant just puts the cherry on top for me.

angele, I, too, am in zone 7. Do try passiflora incarnata to lure the Gulf Fritillaries. RSVP your thoughts. Leeflea51

I've also had Variegated Fritillary use Maypop. And some years the Zebra Longwings gets this far north...it uses Maypop also. Mine actually bloomed this year. Most years it doesn't, it's too eaten up by caterpillars.

hi lindatx8, the butterflirs are the only reasons i ordered the maypops. yess, the flowers are lovelt but the butterflies are just,too, gorgeous! lit them eat down to the last morel. i'm glad to have met someone who sharers my passion for rhem, lee pardon my awful typing, as i can use it only due to ulnar nerve inflammation

Hi, Jeff Can I ask how long your Maypop has been planted and how old it was when planted? I am wondering because I planted one 3 springs ago and it hasn't flowered yet. So I was wondering if my growing season is too short or if perhaps the plant is too young. It doesn't come up until July, but if yours doesn't come up until mid June and flowers by the 4th that doesn't seem like it needs very long to flower. Thanks : )

I just checked my Journal and I realize that it emerges from the ground in mid-June.

This message was edited Oct 4, 2008 9:01 AM

Meredith,

Sorry to hear that your Passiflora isn't doing well. Mine has been planted for 3 years, and has flowered every year. It dies back to the ground each fall, and comes back with more and more leaders every year. It was a very small plant, maybe a 3 inch pot, when I planted it.

Wow, you started with a small plant too! Thank you for the information about your maypop. Perhaps mine just needs more sun. I have it planted along my front foundation which is south facing, but due to trees it might not get as much sun as it would like. I am just worried if I move it somewhere sunnier it won't have the foundation to help overwinter it. I guess I will just have to try it in spring and hope for the best. Thank you again. : )

Meredith, do you by any chance have a marshy spot? I would think a foundation would be a bad place for a Passiflora. They want a lot of water, and that's the last thing I want around my foundation.

Mine is directly over a subsurface drain that runs much of the year.

No marsh here, no wet spots at all actually. I have very sandy soil that drys out rather quickly. Although, my foundation is probably a lot wetter than you'd think because we have no gutters.
I do have a low area that is amended, it's where I have my stuff that likes a lot of water and in mid summer I use a soaker hose to keep it moist during rainless periods. Only problem there is it seems to be a cold spot in my garden so I don't think the maypop would overwinter there.