I'm brand new to GardenWeb. Just moved in to a place with an overgrown yard - trying to sort out what's what. I'll proboably be posting lots of "ID this" pictures.

I think one of my mystery plants is P. 'Elizabeth'. The vine has completely taken over what used to be an herb garden, and a rosebush. There was also one growing in my driveway, which I've killed and pulled up.

I'd never seen flowers like it, but they look just like the ones on the site kiwinut posted. A month ago there were only a few flowers, now they are profuse, and I have a half dozen fruits. When are they ripe? What do people do with the fruits? Are they edible?

Can't help with the cross question as I'm a garden novice.

If the vine in your herb garden over wintered, it is probably not 'Elizabeth', unless you had a really mild winter. However, the hardiness of 'Elizabeth' is not well known, some say it is fairly hardy, others say maybe zone 8-10 at best, so maybe its possible.

Are the fruits large and pear shaped like in the photos? You may have maypop, P. incarnata, which grows wild in your area. The fruits are usually round or egg shaped, ranging from one to three inches in diameter. The vines will spread like crazy via root suckers. They are edible. For best flavor, let them drop natually when ripe, then store them in a cool dry place for a few days. Animals will eat them immediately when they drop, so you have to really keep an eye on them. Some turn yellow when nearly ripe, but they may stay green. Ripening time can vary a lot, as the fruit sets at different times. Some may not ripen before the first frost, but any that are already fairly large should ripen for you with no problems.

Please post some pictures!

~kiwinut