Cats? Like meow meow?
What kind of passion vine is it?
If you look at where each leaf connects/falls off from the stem, just above that there is always a little nub or bump or super tiny growth (axillary meristem) - if you see those, it will put out new growths from there. Sometimes the plant will develop these spots later on (my P. ligularis has meristem emergeing from the base where the stem is much older, thicker and kind-of woody).

So unless the stem is completely dry or cut off, I would let it do its thing.

Hope that helps.

Send some of your cats to me. I've yet to see a Gulf Frit on any of my vines. My passies look great but I want some caterpillars! I'd just leave the vines alone if they are still green. If the vines are dry then go ahead and cut them back
Karyn

I was able to raise most of the Cats and released 4 Gulf Frits this a.m. but it is so early for it to be dead. I want more Cats and more BF's. My vine lasted all the way thru the year last year.

If I see another Gulf Frit I will send him further north. Maryland is it? Wish I could. They are beautiful and easy to raise.

My vines are still green. Some of the off shoots are brown and dead looking. Clean them up?

Thanks again,

Mary

The butterfly/caterpillar population will crash now that most of the food supply is gone. In a short time the stripped vines will sprout new growth. You might pick any eggs off to help it along, but passis are pretty hardy and should recover without much intervention on your part. I don't think cutting it back to the ground would do any lasting good.

Mary, I LOVE p. incarnata, the flowers are beautiful and smell wonderful, the vine is unbelievably vigorous, cold hardy, heat hardy, etc., but its one drawback is that it does quit in the fall. My p. caeruleas kept all their leaves all winter long one year and some cats overwintered! My p. biflora vines keep on making new growth that the gulf frits use after there's no more p. incarnata. This is one reason I'm experimenting with new vines on my new picket fence - besides wanting pretty flowers, I'm trying to extend my gulf frit season - GF cats can live through colder temps than I thought, but without passionvine leaves, there are no gulf frits.
Sherry

I really need to get a p. biflora vine. Last year my p. incarnata kept renewing itself This year it did not. Are the p.biflora vines available this time of year? It has been so hot lately, I haven't been to the plant stores.
Thank you for your input. Have fun with the GF's and send me a monarch or two when they come thru. Still haven't seen them yet. TOO HOT?

My biflora has been growing great and it's been about 100 for almost a month. The flowers aren't particularly pretty in my opinion but it does grow well. I have plenty of monarchs and swallowtails but no gulf fritts. The swallowtails are done laying eggs but the monarchs are still at it. I hope I have enough asclepias this year. I had an invasion of milkweed tussock moth cats and they devoured quite a bit. I was transfering them to the wild milkweed in the field across the street but there was just so many this year. They are awfully cute but I'd rather save the asclepias for the monarchs. Does anyone in 7a have gulf fritts? I wonder if I'm too far north?
Karyn