Soon after my husband and I got married, he brought home a beautiful purple flower that he had found on a pasture fence line. It was a passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, which is also known as maypop in areas where it grows wild. We’ve been growing and using passionflowers ever since.
Beautiful flowers aren’t the only reason to grow passion vines. They’re also pretty easy to grow which is always a plus, they produce tasty fruit, and all the parts of the passionflower vine can be used medicinally.
Maypop, or passion flower vines, are also a host plant to the gulf fritillary, variegated fritillary, zebra longwing, and the julia butterfly. Bees also love it. I don’t know about you, but I love walking outside and seeing butterflies fluttering all around my yard.
Because I always find it useful to keep notes on the herbs I’m learning about, I have some printable herb profile sheets to share with you. You can get them by filling in the form below.
Growing passionflower vines
Growing passionflower vinesThere are over 400 species in the Passiflora genus, most are tender tropical vines and go by the common name passionflower. However, Passiflora incarnata is a little different than most. it is deciduous, can survive winter freezes, is commonly called maypop and hardy passionflower. It’s cold hardy to zone 5. If you need help understanding gardening zones (cold hardy and heat zones) and other things that affect your climate, we have a short climate course that will help you out.
Passiflora incarnata is native to the southeastern United States, although can be found in many states as it’s being cultivated in gardens. It grows along fence lines, edges of fields, and in ditches. It can be invasive and is often considered a weed in large scale farming operations.
Passionflower vine can be propagated by seeds, roots, or cuttings. While growing the roots will send out a runner and a new passionflower vine will pop up several feet from the original plant. In the spring we usually have a combination of “volunteer” passionflower vines that have popped up from seeds and from roots. I dig some of these up and relocate them to where I want them or share with friends. After that, we just mow over any that aren’t in our designated passion vine area.
If you’re worried about passionflower vines taking over your yard, you can plant them in pots to contain the roots.
Passion vines aren’t picky when it comes to soil, although like most plants, they prefer loose, loamy soil. They’ll grow in partial shade, but not as well as they will in full sun and they won’t produce as well. They are drought tolerant and will only require watering during the most intense part of the summer if you don’t get rain that week.
Passionflower vines will grow 5-8 feet (or more) depending on growing conditions. You’ll want give it something to grow on. We’ve used our fence, a grape arbor, and an arbor made of cattle panel in the past. Use what you have, or make a special place for them, whatever works for you. An arbor made from a cattle panel and t-posts with a bench underneath makes a lovely spot to relax under.
Passionflower vine pests and problems
If you plant passionflower vines you need to expect butterflies, caterpillars, and chrysalises. If you know that up front you won’t be shocked when you find fuzzy caterpillars chomping on your passionflower leaves. The good thing is, it won’t kill the plants, although it will slow down the flowering and fruit producing.
In our area, along the Texas Gulf Coast, the passion flower vine will bloom and produce fruit from May through October. During that time there can be several generations of butterflies, but don’t worry, not every egg will hatch to become a caterpillar that eats your lovely passionflower vines. Nature has a way of trying to keep things in balance.
Ants will often be found on passionflowers eating the nectar, and helping control the caterpillar population.
Other than caterpillars we’ve not experienced any pest or problems with Passiflora incarnata.
Harvesting passionfruit and passionflower vines
Unlike other Passiflora flower varieties, maypop fruit stays green and doesn’t turn red or purple, as it ripens it will lighten and might turn yellow. When it’s ripe it will get wrinkly and soft and will probably fall off the vine. The more ripe it is, the better the flavor. If you decide to pick it from the vine so it doesn’t drop and get eaten by the chickens, you can let it sit on the kitchen counter to ripen for a few days. Or you can choose to eat it unripe while it’s tart as my youngest daughter does.
The flowers can also be harvested, just don’t harvest them all if you want fruit. The leaves can be harvested as can the roots. If you’re going to harvest the roots you’ll want to make sure to have plenty planted so you don’t destroy your entire crop.
Using passionflower vines and passion fruit
All parts of the hardy passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, can be used either medicinally or for food. Native Americans used the above ground parts, the flowers, leaves, and stems, for anxiety and sleep issues. Passionflower is used in modern medicine for the same thing. While chamomile tea is often thought of as the sleep tea, passionflower is just as effective.
If you’re interested in using passionflower medicinally, FarmHomestead has a great Medica materia to get you started.
Passionflower can also be used to flavor kombucha and makes a lovely evening tea.
To eat the fruit, just slice it open (or pull off the top at the stem) and scoop out the pulp covered seeds. They’re similar to pomegranate seeds but more gelatinous. Like pomegranates we eat the seeds and pulp, but I know some people prefer just the seeds.
Attainable Sustainable has a clever way of deseeding the pulp using an immersion blender and a chinois (or cone strainer). You can use the passionfruit juice to make a lovely, simple passionfruit cake, maypop jelly, or passionfruit gingerade.
If you don’t want to de-seed the pulp you can still make wonderful desserts, like this passionfruit cheesecake and yo-yos.
Strictly Medicinal Seeds Giveaway
Strictly Medicinal Seeds is a small seed company that is dedicated to preserving and selling organic, medicinal seeds for your medicinal herb garden. I’ve ordered from them and have been pleased with their service and the quality of their seeds. They also happen to sell passionflower seeds!
So, I’m super happy to be participating in a fun seed giveaway for some of their Tulsi (Holy Basil) seeds. To enter, just fill out the form below.
Do you grow or forage passionflower? Share your tips or uses in the comments.
Carrie says
Thanks Angie!
Sue D says
Would love to make Tulsi part of my garden plans. I have heard many good things about it.
Baker's Roost says
It wasn’t even on my radar until now! So thanks! Now to not let my husband see I bought more seeds……
Gregory C says
Would love to try and grown Tulsi.
Judy Anderson says
I grew Tulsi with my tomatoes in pots in a mini greenhouse last year, after reading about how much tomatoes love basil. This year I would like to grow more outside, to have a good stash for winter!
Shirley says
I love trying to grow new herbs, fruits and vegetables. The passionfruit is beautiful and the edible fruit is intriguing. I would love to grow it
Catt says
I am just learning about Tulsi and would love to make it part of my garden plans, and make use of it in our family’s health care.
Mickey Louth says
It isn’t yet, but I’d like it to be although I live in a zone 3. We are suppose to get a greenhouse up this spring, that might help .
Brooke says
I need some of these seeds!
Alyssa J Sorenson says
Planning a whole herb garden!
Amanda Spencer says
Would love to add Tulsi to my garden! I have never grown it before.
Maria says
It is such a pity it is only for US and Canada… Living only a few hour flying from Miami on Aruba, I would love to get my hands on both Tulsi but even more, the maypop. It looks so nice, and here there are desert conditions. Rain every week? We had that a few months ago, for the first time in 25 years I have been living here. Months without a drop normally. Would they last with only once watering a week here? I would not want to take the chance. But are they easily overwatered in my clay+rock+building debris (grrrr) soil?
Angi Schneider says
Maria, the giveaway conditions were set by Strictly Medicinal Seeds who is giving the seeds away. I’m sure there are some countries that wouldn’t allow seeds to be shipped in so I’m sure it’s easier (and still generous) to limit where they are mailed to. I think the maypop would do just fine with once a week watering.
Maria says
thank you for your response!
Lora says
I’ve heard of Tulsi, but don’t grow it.
One of God's says
Another something I’d like to try. Thanks.
Martha Waugh says
I had never heard of it until this blog post. It sounds like a nice addition to my kitchen garden.
TheresaKP says
I definitely want to give these a try. Thanks for the info!
Sandra Lankford says
Never throught about growing passionfruit, but I will now.
Daniel Hampton says
Never grown it but heard great things.
Pat Havens says
I bought a Holy Basil plant but the frost got it so am now planting seeds to try to grow it, I hope it works that plant smelled fabulous and I am learning more every day about using medicinal herbs . thanks to you and others who are educating me .
DianeM says
I’m going to be starting an herb garden this year & would love to include these Tulsi seeds…I’m new to their company, but I’ll be checking them out 🙂
AmyJo Medaris says
Thanks for offering the giveaway. I think I’m going to have to figure out a way to plant these passionflowers, they sounds lovely and we love passionfruit! And butterflies are awesome too!
AmyJo Medaris says
Also, never heard of Tulsi, but I am going to check into it!
Lisa Alexander says
I’ve never heard of it, or Strictly Medicinal Seeds, so I’m going to be researching! 🙂 Thanks for the opportunity
Mandy says
I live in Alabama and just found a patch of passionflower growing on the side of a back country road. I stopped yesterday and picked some of the fruit and was pleasantly surprised! My kids loved it! They thought it was so neat to find food growing on the side of the road that we could eat and that tasted like candy pretty much. Can’t wait to go back and pick some more. Thank you!
Angi Schneider says
How fun is that?! I’m excited for you and your kids, foraging is a lost skill that really needs to be revived.
Tony Frick says
I’m 67 and started eating these as a kid. My grandfather spotted some in the edge of his garden one day and pulled one and sliced it open with his knife,,, what a pleasant surprise inside. I have never forgotten and my wife had never heard of these and thought I was kidding when I told her it was a maypop. After finding one turning yellow she was a believer after I shared it with her.
Angi Schneider says
What sweet memories of your grandfather! We love these so much, my 10 year old says they taste like Starburst candies. I’m glad your wife was able to finally share one. Thanks for sharing.