A Passion for Passionflowers in Prose & Poetry
by Devon Higginbotham / Poem by Donna Bollenbach Suncoast Native Plant Society The Passionflower...it looks like it must be from another planet. _D Higginbotham The first time I saw a passion flower, with its bizarre, lavender zigzaggy petals and yellow-star stamens, my immediate thought was it must be from another planet. It looks like no other flower shape — daisy, tulip or rose. Not only is it spectacular to behold but it’s huge, measuring about 4 inches across, and it smells like a sorority house on formal night. I had to have one! Sometimes called the maypop or May apple, this perennial vine is native to Florida and the southeastern United States. It grows well in zones seven to 10, climbing on fences trellises or as a ground cover in sunny locations. It spreads underground, sending out shoots some distance from the parent plant. It is attractive to zebra longwing and gulf fritillary larvae, which keep it in check. Thus, supplying your garden with a steady ...