Passion!
Remember last fall when I drove to Needmore Bamboo in Brown County Indiana for the "Bamboo Festival" that Brad hosted? I bought a bamboo while I was there and met a few other bamboo growers. Some bamboo growers are focused only on growing bamboo, but most of them are gardeners in general and grow everything -- like me. Apparently some of them end up with may more plants than they can use (also like me) and give them away, because I was given a few plants at the bamboo gathering.
One of the plants I received was a native vine: Passiflora incarnata, or "Maypop". Both of the potted specimens spent the winter in my greenhouse, and although they died to the "ground", they both came back strong. I planted one of them in the ground recently, and today I noticed that they're flowering!
It's not a surprise that they're flowering, but since the blooms are so intricate and I haven't seen them in person before it's quite exciting!
What an amazingly complex flower structure! So alien, or undersea. Beautiful!
I'm not sure how long this vine will flower, but I'm hoping for most of the summer. There are plenty of flower buds remaining:
Since I don't have any experience with this plant, I thought that perhaps these blooms were closing for the night, to open again in the morning:
It doesn't work like that though -- the blooms appear to stay open. Those closing flowers above are finished and fading already. Not to worry though, as they're producing fruit:
I'm interested to see if these fruits stay on the vines until they're ripe or if critters nab them all. I'm hoping they do (stay on the vine that is), as I'm eager to try them!
This plant is so amazing, almost unbelievable... is that because it's new to me?
I want to see what this plant looks like in a couple of years when it's mature and producing a mass of vines and flowers! Although I've read that it spreads via roots, so I may be fighting to keep it in control soon.
I grow bamboo, so a little root pruning doesn't scare me, and these flowers are worth a little control effort I think. Don't you agree?
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My first encounter with passionflowers was when I was floating down a glassy river in a canoe as a child and saw them growing in great walls of wildness on both banks. I've loved them ever since. Enjoy.
Beautiful vines- you will enjoy it. The flowers are mesmerizing I think.
In my opinion, easily some of the most beautiful flowers on any plant. Fantastic photos, too. The fruit should taste wonderful, too, if it's anything like its tropical cousins.