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A couple of smelly natives:

Wed, 10/10/2018 - 12:00 am

Green Side Up

The other day my breath was taken away on a trip to the mailbox, but not in a bad way. The Passion Flower vine that grows on my greenhouse and the bee brush across the road were in full bloom. Their combined aromas were quite heady and certainly got my attention.

Some varieties of the Passion Flower plant are native to Texas. The Passion Flower has a vining growth habit and can grow to 25 or 30 feet long. Its foliage is dark green with five lobed leaves. The flowers are attractive and remarkably intricate and difficult to describe. They are available in light blue, dark blue, yellow and red. It has a pleasingly sweet fragrance. Some varieties are grown commercially for the perfume industry.

According to legend these plants were discovered in South America by a Jesuit priest in 1620. He saw a vision that associated the components of the flower with aspects of the Passion of Jesus — thus the name Passion Flower. The five petals and five sepals represent the ten faithful apostles, excluding Peter for his denial and Judas for his betrayal. The five anthers are the wounds of Jesus, and the three pistils are the nails. The elaborate corona of the flower represents the crown of thorns, and the pointed leaves represent the Roman spear. The tendrils represent the whips used in Jesus’ scourging.

Some of the 550 varieties of the Passion Flower are perennial in our area and can even go through a mild winter without losing their leaves. In most winters it will die to the ground and re-emerge in the spring. During severe winters it would require a mulch blanket. The native variety can withstand temperatures as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit and the hardy Blue Passion Flower can tolerate temperatures down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Passion Flowers are relatively carefree. They are not too particular about the type of soil they grow in as long as it is well drained and in full sun. If the soil is too rich or if fertilizers high in nitrogen are used, the plant may produce copious foliage but few blooms. A solid, slow release fertilizer of the bloom food type will promote flowering. Although they are drought and heat tolerant, in order to enjoy continuous flowering regular watering is necessary. The normal flowering period is from July to September, but the blooms only last one day. My Passion Flowers are still blooming vigorously in the first part of October. There are basically four reasons for a Passion Flower not to bloom. The first cause is the age of the plant. Many plants do not bloom well in their first year or two of cultivation. This is especially true of plants grown from seed. My Passion Flowers have bloomed prolifically this year, but this is their third year in the ground. Too much fertilizer is the second reason for not blooming. The Passion Flower is basically a wildflower and does better with less care and nutrition. Pampering holds them back. Thirdly, the lack of sufficient sunlight will inhibit flowering. Most flowering plants produce better in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. And, lastly, even though these plants are drought tolerant they do not do their best under those conditions. For maximum flowering, regular watering is required.

The Passion Flower is almost pest free. However the Gulf Fritillary, an orange butterfly with three black circled white spots on each wing, lays its eggs on these plants. The caterpillars are orange with numerous branched black spikes on its back. Although not typically a pest, these caterpillars have a voracious appetite and can strip a vine in just a few days. Fortunately, my experience is that the plants soon recover. It is not necessary to use pesticides on the caterpillars unless you are just horribly offended by the naked vines. Killing the caterpillars will reduce the butterfly population and pesticides will kill any beneficial insects present. Some individuals grow Passion Flower specifically to attract butterflies to their garden. The flowers are also attractive to bees.

One negative surrounding Passion Flower vines is that they are very vigorous growers. They send out suckers that show up in the most unexpected places. Some gardeners consider them invasive.