Controlling Your Passion

by Tom Hewitt 

Anyone who’s ever grown passion vine has a story to tell. I once had a brief affair with ‘Lavender Lady’. Its flowers were as lovely as its name, but our relationship soon soured when I discovered it working its way to the top of my oak tree. Though I pulled it out years ago, I’m still plagued with seedlings that pop up incessantly.

Lavender Lady’s brazen behavior is nothing compared to that of the red-flowering varieties, most of which can quickly cover a gazebo. Even my favorite passion vine, P. triloba, desires to rule the world. But one bloom perfumes my entire patio, so I find it well worth the trouble to keep it in bounds.

When I can grow it, that is. I’ve tried three times now, and it never lasts for long. I suspect it doesn’t get enough sun, which is often the reason they don’t do well. Disappointments like these underscore the importance of putting the right vine in the right place.

It’s not as if we don’t have plenty of choices. Passiflora is a genus, with nearly 500 species that range from evergreen vines to shrubs to herbaceous perennials. Some even grow as freestanding trees. Trouble is, few of us have room for such bullying behemoths.

There are less aggressive ones. I love ‘Lady Margaret’, a cross between P. coccinea and P. incarnata. It has raspberry-colored flowers with white centers. Growing slower than most, it blooms constantly and has pretty leaves to boot. Butterfly larvae feed on it, but don’t strip it completely, like they do our native species. P. citrina, with small yellow blooms, is also well-behaved.

From an ecological standpoint, native species are best, especially if you’re trying to encourage butterfly species to feed on them. There are at least six native species of Passiflora in Florida. I grow tons of corkystem (P. suberosa). But because it has small, inconspicuous flowers and always looks ratty, I don’t give it a place of prominence. I do, however, let it ramble out back.

Although corkystem pops up all over the place from seed, it seems to grow best in partial shade. Those growing in shade are preferred by Zebra Longwings, while those growing in full sun are more apt to be eaten by Julias and Gulf Fritillaries.

Though the verdict is still out, I may have reached a happy medium in the butterfly garden at Mounts. I have corkystem growing on one side of an arbor and ‘Lady Margaret’ on the other, hoping the two will eventually mingle. But because butterfly larvae have been feeding so feverishly on both, I’ve yet to see this happen.

Butterfly expert Teri Jabour is a fan of corkystem, but also likes copper passion flower (P. cupraea), a Bahama native with reddish-brown flowers. “Maypop (P. incarnata) is also great for butterflies,” she says, “but you have to grow it in a pot with a stone paver underneath to keep it from spreading.” Blue passion flower (P. caerulea) and P. ‘Incense’ are also lovely and attract Heliconians, she notes, but can also get out of hand.

Butterfly enthusiast Dan O’Connell grows a dozen or so species on his small lot in West Palm Beach, and has learned from past mistakes. “Never plant two varieties next to each other,” he says. “The dominant one will always win. In fact, never mix any other vine with passion vine.”

O’Connell now spaces his passion vines out more, giving each one ample room and support. He’s found creative ways of doing this, like growing P. edulis up the trunk of a cabbage palm. Its showy fruits are edible, he notes, and often used in fruit juices. In fact, this is the one that gives Hawaiian Punch its distinctive taste.

O’Connell planted crimson passion flower (P. vitifolia) on the back of his house. “I haven’t noticed one caterpillar eating it,” he says, “and it covers everything.” (Note: some experts warn that the leaves of exotic red passion vines like P. coccinea, P. racemosa and P. vitifolia may be harmful to our native butterflies.) Some of his favorites include ‘Incense’, ‘Anastasia’ and ‘Blue Bouquet’.

Passifloras are noted for their sweet fragrance, but fetid passion flower (P. foetida) is more famous for its pungent leaves. Though not officially listed as such, it’s considered a pest here in south Florida. Two-flowered passion vine (P. biflora) is actually listed as a category II invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.

So now that you know there are so many choices out there, resist the temptation to fall in love at first sight. Do your homework. Study a passion vine’s “colorful” reputation before deciding if you really want it hanging around for years to come.

 © 2014 Tom Hewitt. Originally published in Florida Gardening, Jun / Jul 2014. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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