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Paper: FLORIDA TODAY
(Melbourne, FL) FOR FLORIDA TODAY In the spring, a gardener's fancy often turns to thoughts of passion. One glimpse of the rare exotic beauty or a whiff of the heady, intoxicating aroma, and most gardeners develop an immediate attraction for the ever-popular passion flower. Add to that their ease of maintenance, quick growth habit, tantalizing fruit and their propensity for luring bountiful butterflies and it becomes obvious why passion vines have found their way into the hearts and yards of Brevard County gardeners. The first time you see the unusual, almost surreal blooms of the elegant passion flower, you almost can comprehend the emotions that led to the naming of this exquisite plant. Imagine trudging through a wild, somewhat hostile wilderness and turning a corner to find a glorious vine covered with strange and wondrous blooms. It is easy to see why the Jesuit priest (or Spanish missionary or Catholic friar, depending on where you read this legend) envisioned this flower as a message from above, and associated religious significance with the various parts of the flower. Hence, the name passiflora or "passion flower" had a strictly religious connotation. But most local gardeners seem to be passionate about passifloras for different reasons. Although there are more than 460 known species of passifloras, many of the flowers are strikingly similar. The blossoms almost always are large and showy with blooms up to 4 inches or larger in diameter and colors that range from pinks, yellows and whites to bright red, purple and lavender. Their thick, almost waxen-looking petals and the strange arrangement of filaments, stamens and pistils make these flowers an exotic addition to any garden. Their rare, exotic beauty has made passion flowers a favorite for artists and photographers for centuries. One local gardener, Asit Ghosh of Rockledge, has combined his love of photography with his interest in tropical plants to capture the beauty of some of these mystical flowers. In the process, he has gained a new appreciation and interest in the passiflora species. "Right now, I have three types," Ghosh explained. "Coccinea -- the red one; edulis, which is the most common bluish-purple type with plenty of fruit; and billotti, which was named after Napolean's wife, because she liked it so much. I have passion vines almost all around the house." "When I started out, I did not treat them any different than any of the other tropical flowers I own," Ghosh said. "But my interest grew as I learned more about them." As his interest grew, Ghosh realized there weren't many photographs readily available on the Internet to help people study this species, so he decided to submit his own. Fortunately for passiflora lovers, Ghosh doesn't just take snapshots. He takes highly detailed photographs. "My main intent is to make the features of the fruit and the flowers that I photograph very clear," Ghosh said. "So that people with a real interest in the plants can learn about what they are looking at." Ghosh shares his interest in passifloras and other tropical fruit and flower species by posting his pictures on various botanical Web sites. "I probably have about 1,200 pictures out there now," Ghosh said. "Most of them are on www.plantsdatabase.com, which is the largest plant database in the world." Although Ghosh appreciates the passifloras for their intricate beauty, he also grows them for other reasons. "The main reason I bought them was for the butterflies," Ghosh said. Like Ghosh, most butterfly enthusiasts know passifloras are butterfly favorites. In fact, members of the passiflora species are the exclusive larval food plants for more than 70 species of tropical and subtropical butterflies.Three of these butterfly species are common to Florida: the Gulf Fritillary, the Zebra Longwing and the Julia, and any of these species will do hefty damage to a passion vine during it's caterpillar stage. But rather than just hanging around and letting these caterpillars devour them, passion vines have developed mechanisms to fight back. Since butterflies depend on sight to locate their suitable host plants, some passiflora species develop young leaves in entirely different shapes than their mature foliage so the plant can gain a few feet of growth before the caterpillars deleaf it. Other passion flowers are equipped with tiny bumps on their leaves, which mimic egg masses and confuse the butterflies into thinking a plant already has been claimed by another egg-laying female. The butterflies, however, aren't easily fooled and will be attracted to a butterfly garden that contains almost any of the more common passifloras. According to Deborah Haman, butterfly expert at Rockledge Gardens, "Every butterfly gardener should have at least one passion vine. The local butterflies just love them," Haman said. "But if you don't want to attract caterpillars, there is one passion vine that doesn't seem to attract them. It is the coccinea, or red passion vine. It's still an excellent source for butterfly nectar, but the caterpillars don't seem to like it." Other local wildlife gardeners plant red passion vines as a lure for hummingbirds. Although the structure of the passion flower doesn't make them a suitable choice as a nectar source for hummingbirds, the bright red coloring of some of the varieties can lure hummingbirds into a yard to other suitable plants. "A lot of people buy passion vines for the fruit, too." Haman said. "The best variety for fruit is the edulis. The juice is very sweet and taste a little like kiwi." Most passion vines do produce fruit, although not all of it is edible. Their juice, which is rich in vitamins A and C, can be made into an drink by adding water and sugar or used to create jellies, pie filling or cake frostings. Some fruit, such as the fruit of the edulis, mentioned above, can be eaten straight from the plant, seeds and all. It is the fruit of the edulis species that gives Hawaiian Punch its distinctive taste. Medicinal qualities Passiflora also is thought to have medicinal qualities. Walk down the herbal tea aisle of any store, and you will notice one of the more popular uses for passion vine. For centuries, the leaves have been valued for their natural sedative qualities and are found in many varieties of calming teas. The plants also have been used as a remedy for a myriad of other ailments for more than 200 years and are used in herbal medicine to aid in the treatment of sleep disorders, nervousness, cough and headache. Recent rodent studies have found extracts of passion flower leaves had aphrodisiac properties. Because of their rapid growth, passion vines also are the plant of choice for many who are looking for something to cover an arbor or unsightly yard structure. All passion vines put out tendrils which will readily grip any structure you lead them to. They can grow in any direction and are easily guided by bending their stems. Pruning will encourage branching, which will provide a denser cover if your goal is camouflage. Ghosh has taken advantage of this camouflage quality in his yard, too. "I have two viburnum trees near the entrance, which I didn't really want, but I never cut down any trees. So, instead, I planted a passion vine to climb the viburnum and now you can't see any of the leaves of the viburnum, so in January the whole tree was a passion vine canopy of flowers and fruit. It was an incredible sight." Along with the exotic varieties of passion flowers that are available at some local nurseries, Florida also has several native passiflora species. Passiflora incarnata can be found growing wild along fence lines and in open fields. This species of passiflora has the common name of maypop, which was given to them for the sound they make when stepped on. Their fruits are edible and are said to have a taste reminiscent of pomegranate. This is one of the hardiest passion vines in general cultivation and is readily available at many local nurseries. The other species of native passion flower is quite different and a little harder to locate in nurseries. This species, Passiflora suberosa, commonly called the Corkystem passion vine, has inconspicuous 1/2-inch greenish flowers. Although not as showy as most other passifloras, it still is valuable as a host plant for butterflies. Cold sensitive Now, for the down side of passion flowers. Some species of passion flower are sensitive to cold and will die back to the ground in winter. Usually, these species will begin sprouting again in the spring, but if you have used the vine to cover an unsightly structure in your yard, you might end up with a more unsightly structure for a few months while the plant grows back. Be sure and ask for cold-hardy species if the plant will not be grown in a sheltered area. Some gardeners grow the more tender varieties in containers. This also takes care of the second problem that can occur with some passion vines. Once they take root, they can spread rampantly and may begin popping up all over your yard. Since it is such a popular plant, the easy remedy for this is to dig up the new shoots, pot them and share them with a friend. Passion flowers also make impressive houseplants and patio plants. They need plenty of sunlight. Provide them with a bright, south-facing window, and they may reward you with exquisite flowers throughout the year.
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Title:
Passion flowers inspire the masses