Passiflora incarnata roots of Maypop, wild passion flower or passion fruit.
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Maypops, named either because they 'pop up' in May, or because of the sound the fruits make when stepped on. Pop! They are perfect for edible landscaping, because the beautiful, frilly flowers are followed by tasty passion fruit! This is one of the few native American passion flowers, native to the south-eastern United States.
These are
harvested from central Florida, where they grow in hay fields and
citrus groves. They have beautiful white and purple flowers, which are
followed by tasty fruit. You need at least two different plants for fruit production. Leaves can also be used medicinally, as there is a chemical found in the leaves which is a natural sleep aid. Dry the leaves and make a calming tea to help you fall asleep. Plants are grown without any chemical assistance; no pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Grown as nature intended.
Passiflora incarnata is also a larval food plant for gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia) butterflies.
Plants by the foot?Price
is for 1 foot of root, so order as many feet as you would like. If you
want 6 feet of roots then order a quantity of six. Roots will be in 1
foot segments unless you request otherwise in the instructions to buyer (Longest individual roots are up to 10 feet).
Maypops
spread by their roots, and make thick, flexible roots that spread for
many feet from the original plant. You can leave the root as a longer
piece, which will help the plant produce flowers and fruits faster, or
roots can be further subdivided to make multiple plants.
Fruit Production
For
fruit production you need a second variety for cross pollination. Check
my other auctions for other color variations. Ripe fruit fall off
naturally, and will continue to ripen off of the vine. Allow the fruits
to become wrinkly before eating for maximum sweetness.
How do I plant it?
Roots will be in a long, rope-like segment. This root can be planted directly in your flower bed, a few inches (3-6") beneath the soil. Bury it parallel to the surface of the soil, in a straight line, zig-zag, or in a coil as in the pictures. The root will send up one or more shoots. You can separate
a root into smaller sections (I recommend no less than 6", but it's up to you), placing each root piece a few inches beneath
the soil, wherever you want a plant to grow. Leaving the root in a longer piece will result in a bigger plant quicker as it uses up the stored energy.
This
is a vine, so you will need to provide something for it to climb. A
fence will work, or a tomato cage, or build an arbor for it to cover. It
will climb up and over anything it can reach.
These will also grow well in pots using potting soil. Plants prefer full sun but will tolerate some shade and are generally undemanding for soil, but don't like to be excessively wet for long periods. In Florida I usually find them growing in sand, but will grow in whatever soil you plant them in.
No fertilizer is necessary, but if you do, use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen (N) and high in phosphorus (P) to promote flowering. (i.e. Scotts 'Super Bloom' 12-55-6)
Winter Care
This is a pretty cold hardy species, which dies back to the roots in autumn. If you planted it outside and live in USDA zone 6 or warmer you shouldn't have to do anything, just leave it alone and wait. If you plant in a pot you'll want to put it in your garage or basement where it will be protected from temperature extremes. Don't water it during winter; wait until it warms up and sends out new shoots.
Shipping
At this time I cannot ship to California, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas. No international shipping.
Bulk Discounts
I will accept any offer based on the following:
0-4 feet = $5.00 (no discount)
4-10 feet = $4.75
11-15 feet = $4.50
16-20 feet = $4.25
20+ = $4.00
Thanks!