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| Photo Credit: David L. Morgan |
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Passiflora caerulea grows freely in my garden in heavy, clayey soils. |
Do you know the rich history behind passionflower? This lovely vine is a particular favorite around Easter, when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus and gather to celebrate the risen Christ, finding symbolism in these spectacular flowers.
Passiflora is a genus of more than 400 species of mostly evergreen tendril climbers, including a few annuals, perennials, shrubs and even trees. They’re found in nature in mostly tropical or subtropical climes, in woodlands, on rocks and in grasslands. Their habitats include North, Central and South America, as well as tropical Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands. Suffice to say, you could find a Passiflora selection suitable to grow in your garden – and I daresay you’d be pleased to do so. I grow one on a simple trellis in mostly full sun, but I’ve noticed that the vine flowers in partial shade, too. It thrives in gummy clay, alkaline soils. It also grows rampantly, and I’ve found it popping up in nearby flower beds and climbing up my bur oak tree. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: David L. Morgan | | The fruit of the passion vine, called maypop, produces a nutritious juice. |
Mine’s called P. caerulea (although I’m not sure what its cultivar is). The flower has the distinguishing purple-, blue- and white-zoned coronas (those rings of fleshy filaments) of the species. I kind of like the blue, but you might prefer the lovely purple-, red- or white-flowering selections, which are also found in the trade.
It’s possible the commonly grown P. edulis (the edible passionflower and producer of passion fruit) is the species Spanish conquistadors came to use as symbols to teach Christianity to the indigenous people of the New World.
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