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Attract Pollinators With This Master-Gardener Recommended Flower
By TIFFANY SELVEY
Native purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L.), also known as maypop, purple passion vine, and apricot vine,
has a scent similar to honeysuckle that pollinators love.
Among the many cultivars of Passiflora, native purple passionflower is a fast-growing perennial vine that is easy to grow, needs minimal maintenance, and supports pollinators.
Passionflower is the host plant for several butterflies and moths that will only lay their eggs on this plant because it's the only food their larvae can eat once they hatch.
In North America, passionflower also provides sustenance for gulf and variegated fritillary butterflies, banded and red-banded hairstreak moths, bumblebees, and even hummingbirds.
Finding the right site is crucial, as passionflower grows up to 25 feet long in a season and its roots spread up to 10 feet away. It also needs something to climb, like a trellis.
Passionflower grows well in partial shade but produces the most flowers in full sun. It’s hardy and drought-tolerant, so once its roots are established, it doesn't need watering.
Native purple passionflower takes root easily even in clay or sandy soil. You can give it a boost with compost, but as with most native plants, fertilization is not necessary.
In freezing temperatures, your native purple passionflower will die down, and you can remove its dry vines. It will sprout again in late spring or earlier, depending on your area.
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