A flowering Vine to Fall in Love With

Passionflowers are exotic looking vines that make your heart race. I have grown a number of these beauties, all of which have been in the passiflora species. Most varieties are native to subtropical or tropical regions but there are a few that are cold hardy to Zones 6 and 7. Given that I garden in Zone 5, I grow passionflowers in pots and move them inside when the temperatures start to drop. I prune the vine back to 6” to 8” and then place the pot in a sunny window until after danger of frost in the spring. NOTE: the passiflora species sets its flower buds on new wood, so the time to prune them back is in fall or late winter. Some passionflowers have delicious fruit; others not so much. Passionflowers grow quickly and have dense foliage. Longer-stemmed varieties make great privacy screens for outdoor entertainment areas. Most passionflowers bloom from late spring into fall, with flowers lasting only one day (similar to Daylily and Hibiscus).

To learn more about these magnificent plants and be wowed by 17 different varieties, check out the Spring issue of Garden Design. Better yet, get this issue for free by subscribing to this quarterly, 148-page, AD-FREE ‘bookazine’! Garden Design is dedicated to premier quality articles and photos featuring garden design ideas, plants, edibles, floral arranging and much more. The annual subscription fee is $45. Go online to https://www.gardendesign.com/kerryannmendez or call (855) 624-5110 Monday – Friday, 8 – 5 PST and mention this offer for a complimentary magazine.(Photos by John Glover and Caerulea Alamy)