Passion Flower

A genus of about 500 species of flora that belong to the Passifloraceae family, Passion Flower mostly consists of vines and shrubs. There are also some that are herbaceous, but they are rarely seen thriving.

Passion Flower bears the Passion Fruit called “maracuya” in Spanish. Native to the tropical islands in America, it is commercially cultivated specifically in the Caribbean, Brazil, Florida and Hawaii.

The Passion Flower has a very unique structure which even requires a huge bee to pollinate effectively. In some areas, there are wooden beams that are placed near it in order to attract more insects to nest.

Also, its shape and size vary from one another even if they are of the same specie. Some can also be fertilized by hummingbirds and wasps, but there are also some that can do it by themselves without being dependent from others.

They are utilized by the larva of the moth as food. Butterflies such as Heliconiinae and Cibyra Serta also use them as food supplement. A lot of butterflies actually get stuck in the plant because it is covered by hairs that also exude fluid that is sticky.

Found around the globe except in Europe and Antartica, nine of the breeds of Passion Flower are present in the United States, in Ohio down the northern coast going west to Texas then to Florida Keys in the south.

As mentioned earlier, it is very rampant in South America because it can aptly survive in weather where there is equal distribution of rain and sunshine. Passion Flower also thrives in China as well as in Southern Asia where it is known to have about 17 breeds.

In the Pacific particularly in New Zealand, there is only one of the monotypic specie. In Africa, it is abundant, although it is more primitive to Adenia. There are purple and yellow flowers which widely grow in areas that have mild climate.

In the Victorian period, Passion Flower was so popular that a lot of hybrids have been created utilizing P. Caerulea and P. Alata. A number of them are being cultivated beyond their natural range due to their charm.

Maypop with scientific name Passiflora Incarnata, is common in the southern part of the United States. Its produce can be eaten; it is quite seedy, but can largely benefit the fauna in the wild jungle.

The Curuba with scientific name Passiflora Tarminiana, is a weed that is invasive. It is scattered by feral pigs that swallows them. It even grows so huge it stands tall in an endemic vegetation, especially on the sides of the road and street.