Passionflowers bring beauty, flavor and health to the Lowcountry

Passionflowers are so lush and exotic-looking. It’s hard to believe that any occur naturally outside the tropics. Yet several species are native to the United States.

These include purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), which is common in the Southeast and grows so exuberantly that it’s often considered a weed.

It’s among some 550 species of passionflowers, most of them vines, found in Mexico, Central and South America and other warm parts of the world. Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis), probably the most famous member of this group, is cultivated extensively in the tropics and subtropics for its fruits, which are eaten raw and made into juice.

Other species are prized by gardeners as ornamentals and hundreds of hybrids have been developed.

Passionflower blooms have an unusual structure. Typically, each flower has an outer ring of five petals alternating with five leaflike structures (sepals) that resemble the petals in appearance. But its most striking feature is the corona—a brightly colored ring of fringe-like projections encircling the “male” and “female” parts at the center.

The name “passionflower” refers to this distinctive assemblage of floral parts, which have been variously interpreted, by 15th century Spanish missionaries and many others, to depict the Christian crucifixion.

Passionflowers produce abundant nectar and as a group they’re visited by a variety of pollinators, from bumblebees and carpenter bees to wasps, bats and hummingbirds.

Different kinds of passionflower may exhibit high levels of pollinator specificity.

Also, the leaves of many species are important larval food sources for certain butterflies. Purple passionflower, for example, is eaten by the caterpillars of the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius).

For this reason, the robust vine is a valued component of Lowcountry butterfly gardens, even though it is potentially invasive and can grow to lengths of 25 feet.

Purple passionflower is also called maypop because the egg-shaped fruits make a popping sound when stepped on.

The fruits are eaten by songbirds, which help distribute the seeds. Humans harvest maypop fruits to consume raw or to make into jam.

The plant also has a long history of medicinal use.

Native Americans and early European settlers brewed tea from the leaves to treat pain, insomnia, hysteria and epilepsy. Recent scientific studies suggest that extracts from the plant may be useful in relieving anxiety and preventing seizures.