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retiredflorida

Florida Collectors

RetiredFlorida
11 years ago

I know there many, many passiflora collectors here in Florida. I'd love to hear what you are growing, even if it is not your full list, just a few plants. Please share your pitfalls too, did something not like cold or our horrible heat. What plants are you pushing your growing zone with? What are your favorites? I'm not expecting answers to all of these, but to generate much more useful information for all.

I live on the West Coast in Tarpon Springs, zone 9. At the moment I have a P. Vitifolia in the ground and is growing quickly despite our cool temps dipping into the high 30's. I have another plant to go in the ground soon, which is a P.Betty Myles Young.

Cuttings growing fast at the moment;
Lavender Lady
passiflora loefgrenii x caerulea
passiflora sanguinolenta
passiflora raspberries and cream

BTW, I have more vines growing too,
aristolochia gigantea - Potted, ready to go in the ground still growing despite our cool temps.
Cuttings;
aristolochia macroura-cutting
Thunbergia grandiflora - Blue Sky Vine-cutting
Senecio confusus-Mexican Flame Vine-cutting
Strongylodon macrobotrys-Jade Vine-Large enough to go in the ground.

Darren

P.S. Want to start some seeds also but don't want to grow stuff that won't do well here. Rather trade those seeds to someone that can grow them. Thats another thread tho.

Comments (24)

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Darren, I would like to see a picture of peaches and creme Passiflora - I did a google.com search and couldn't find any reference.

    I'd love to do some trading with you - your selection of plants sounds wonderful!

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    I only have Passiflora incarnata (the native Maypop) and Passiflora caerulea (Blue Passion Flower). The Maypop bloomed last year but never fruited. The Blue didn't bloom and doesn't look to be handling the 30's temps very well. I have a cutting of the blue that I'm hoping will root (so far so good). However, if the mother plant dies completely over the winter, I don't know if I will just keep it potted and trimmed or plant it and let it die with the next winter.

    I'm kind of trying to get away from having to go to extremes to protect plants and move more toward natives that should handle our winters without much assistance. Still, I keep my eyes on the Butterfly Rainforest sales and keep getting the itch to go up and purchase the Lavender Lady, Lady Margaret and Corkystem varieties they have. If they ever put all three up for sale in the same week, I could be in trouble.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kay,

    Search for Raspberries & Cream, small pinkish petals. Most of those plants listed are small at the moment but growing fast. The Vitifolia, Betty Myles Young and Aristolochia Gigantea are all big enough for cuttings I think. The Gigantea purportedly does better when it is warmer tho. Kay do you have a greenhouse?

    Leekle,

    My lavender lady is growing very quickly and from what I understand roots easily from cuttings, don't buy one. If my plant keeps growing like it is I'll be able to get you some cuttings before too long. I too would like to get a Lady Margaret and Corkystem too.

    I'm working on cuttings of the Vitifolia, Betty Myles Young and a bunch of other, non passy's at the moment.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Well, it appears I have spoken inaccurately. Back in October I culled my Passiflora foetida. In November, I dug up the incarnata and caerulea and moved them to the south side of my house to get more sun through the winter. Today I was out checking over the area where all the vines used to be planted and a small mass of green caught my eye. Looking closer, it appears that the foetida is making a come-back. Despite the frosts and light freeze, the young sprouts look quite green and vibrant for having sat in nothing but shade. So I will probably go out tomorrow and try to re-pot the foetida sprouts. If they transplant successfully, I will put them up for exchange/giveaway as I really don't want foetida in my yard (it was supposed to be Lady Margaret according to the seed pack and receipt).

  • karyn1
    11 years ago

    Darren most of what you listed will probably do well inground in your zone. The exceptions are the Green Jade and maybe the A. gigantea. Frost will kill the aristolochia back but it might recover from the roots. I don't think the jade has a chance inground in your zone but if you lose it at least they are no longer hard to find or expensive so you can replace it. I just collected a bunch of Corky Stem (suberosa) seeds (it grows everywhere in S. FL) and grows fast from seed. I can send you some when I get back home. I'm staying down here another week, unless I extend my stay again. lol Have you rooted cuttings of your LL? That's one of the few that I have problems rooting. What method do you use?

    I have another P. vitifolia that I picked up in FL a couple months ago and left it at my sister's house in Port St Lucie thinking I'd take it home the next time I was down there. I did pick it up on the way to West Palm but it's grown like mad and is covered with buds. I'd have to cut it back so much to get it home so I think I'll just plant it in my sister's yard and let her enjoy it. I just hope she remembers to water it.

    Kay the Raspberries and Cream is one that I believe Randy picked up at a Strybing sale. Not much, if anything, online about it.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Karyn,

    Thank you I'd love some corky stem seeds any time this spring, wouldn't want you to leave our warm state prematurely ;-) Are you looking for any seeds in particular for your collection?

    The Lavender Lady is a cutting from Randy, so you'll have to ask him ;-) I use the method Randy has kindly shared here.

    I had no idea that there wasn't much online regarding the Raspberries and Cream. I hadn't really researched it, only looking up a photo or two. Based on Randy's post I was confident of what I had regarding looks. Kay, I thought you may have had difficulty finding it because you had wrote Peaches and Cream.

    Leekle,

    Put my name on one of those Passiflora foetida and we will work out a trade. Perhaps I can interest you in a Betty Myles Young? I am growing other cuttings including Hibiscus too.....

    Now I know some of you are reading this but haven't chimed in. I am more interested in what you can grow here and how, I promise not to hit you up for plants/cuttings or seeds unless you offer first. Perhaps you have grown something and it died, that would be good to know also.

    Darren

  • mark4321_gw
    11 years ago

    The 'Raspberries and Cream' was one that I found at a small nursery in Santa Cruz, whose name I forget. The wholesaler was Suncrest. Suncrest couldn't tell me anything about the parentage, but if anyone knows how to contact Patrick Worley he may know something about it (although he didn't make the hybrid). The 5 gallon plants were over $30 and were in bloom. The 1 gallon plants were $11 or $12 and did not have any open flowers. I forgot my camera that day. The flowers looked a lot like P. 'Anastasia' to me, and it clearly has P. gritensis in its background.

    P. gritensis doesn't like the heat. I think it's hybrids are usually a little more tolerant.

    Possibly it's more vigorous than P. 'Anastasia'? I only grew that plant once, and in a small pot. Here are some leaves of 'Raspberries and Cream' on Dec. 23rd. I planted it in the ground soon after I got it in October, and the logest vine now extends about 8 1/2 feet past the ground. We haven't hit 60 since December 10th, so it's probably been a lot cooler here than in Florida.

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Darren, it's o.k. to offer to trade, if someone has something you like - the worst they can do is say 'no', but that doesn't happen often. That's what these forums are all about - trading to enhance our collections. Do I have anything you'd like to trade for?

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Randy,

    The FB group shared this;
    Link

    I think someone was hoping to get in touch with the nursery to see if they could determine the parentage.

    It seems to be very healthy, growing steadily and sturdily compared to some others.

    Kay,

    I'd love to trade with another Floridian and share notes more importantly. I'll send you an e-mail.

    Darren

  • mark4321_gw
    11 years ago

    Darren,

    It looks great! I just sent a rooted cutting to someone who also grows P. 'Anastasia'. Maybe she'll at least be able to say if they are definitely not the same. P. 'Anastasia' does fine in Florida by the way.

    I'll email Shawn, who I know, and we can exchange notes on what (if anything) we've found out from Suncrest. I didn't know he had asked any questions about the hybrid--thanks for that information.

    Shawn has posted on GW as pshawn:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Shawn's (outdated) GW exchange page

  • karyn1
    11 years ago

    Darren I'm still in FL and not looking forward to going back to DC and temps in the 30's. It's been in the upper 70's to mid 80's all but a couple days over the past 3 weeks down here. I think my husband will kill me if I don't get home soon and I do miss him and my kids very much but this wonderful weather is really nice....... I do have a flight back to DC scheduled for Monday. I'm going to be back down the end of the month, thank goodness. I really do hate the cold!

    I'll send some of the Corky Stem passiflora seeds when I get back. I can send you some foetida seeds as well. They are super easy from seed and will reach blooming size in a few months. I also collected what Randy thinks is probably P. edulis flavacarpa (yellow fruited edulis), if you'd like some of those as well. Just let me know.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Karyn,
    I feel for you. I grew up in MA and I know about cool weather all too well. I went back up north once for Christmas after moving here and have not been back again for the holidays. I was wearing a jacket in my brother's house the whole time I was there.

    Fruiting passiflora seeds, heck yeah I'm interested. That would be great. Thank you.

    Darren

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    Growing edulis f. flavicarpa only, but those in different varieties, most are my own "try-outs" for better tasting fruit or juicier larger ones. I do have suberosa growing wild in some hedges like a weed, cute, but a weed down here nonetheless.

  • mark4321_gw
    11 years ago

    How do the various varieties of P. edulis do in Florida?

    P. edulis f. edulis (purple passionfruit)
    P. edulis flavicarpa (yellow)
    Hybrids between the two ('Frederick', 'Red Rover', etc).

    Are they all OK, if not killed by freezes?

    Around here in CA (SF Bay Area) I've always heard the P. edulis flavicarpa is impossible (not warm enough,even in frost-free areas) and that 'Frederick', although widely available, fails to mature in cooler locations.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for sharing that subtrop. I have wild muscadine, kudzu and assorted, "non-fruit/flowering" vines that grow like weeds, so at this stage I'd much rather have some that either grow fruit or pretty blooms. I just spent a good portion of Sunday clearing just a speck of my property of unwanted vines and self sowed trees.

    Being that you are much warmer than I, good to know P. edulis flavicarpa (yellow) tolerates the heat.

    Beautiful hedge!

    Darren

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    Mark, since I'm in 10b, the flavicarpa do grow like weeds and they are invasive. In the summer heat, I have to cut them back biweekly. I also have hybrids between flavicarpa and edulis since 1.5 years and they grow just like the flavicarpa. One winter the coldest was 32 and I had some water lightly frozen, but the flavicarpa didn't even drop a leave. I was very surprised, but I had it protected a bit at the trunk.The pic with the reddish fruit is an edulis x flavicarpa, they do mature red and are the best tasting ones in my yard.

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Darren. The hedge was loaded with fruit this past season. They yellow varieties and hybrids really do thrive best in the heat and humidity. This year, when the humidity was low for weeks in autumn, spider mites moved in in all of my passion fruits...not much I can do I fear. Too many leaves to spray, since you need to cover the undersides. The hedges go a long way into my neighbors yards. One neighbor trained them to make a canopy between the fence and her house, which is just gorgeous.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    subtrop,

    Do the caterpillars leave f.edulis and flavicarpa alone? I understand they can devastate incarnata and lady margaret. Just curious.

    Darren

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    They are devastating to plants in pots if you don't pick the eggs and caterpillars off daily in my yard. On my hedges, there are none. The wasps and ants take care off them.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Well Darren, it looks like you're in luck. The foetida has been in a pot for two weeks and it is starting to put out new growth already. On top of that, I have found another small clump of foetida coming up in another spot next to my trellis. So I will have one more to pass off before long. I had read that foetida can be a pain to remove once it's well established, but I read the same about Maypop (which hasn't had any extra growth pop up) and the foetida really wasn't THAT well established in that area. I guess foetida just starts running quicker than incarnata does.

    Now I just need to check with USPS and get information for sending you one 4" pot of foetida. I know you offered a trade of one of your others, but I really am trying to minimize how many exotics I have in my yard. So consider this a 'down-payment' on a future exchange.

    Edit: Just wanted to add - Today I was harvesting this second clump of foetida and found some answers to it's invasiveness. Yes, it runs quick and it runs far. For being in the ground only 3 months, I found 3-4 ft runners radiating from the original site. I also found that some of these little sprouts were coming from the smallest of root remains, so it seemingly doesn't take much root left in the ground to produce more plants. If you, Darren, still want this plant, I would strongly suggest keeping it potted unless you want a fight on your hands later on down the road.

    This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Mon, Jan 14, 13 at 13:19

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    This winter is warmer and wetter than usual, maybe that's why I have 1 plant still flowering, not everyday, but 3 or 4 times a week.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    subtrop,
    Sweet! We have had such an awesome winter. My P.vitifolia is just loaded with buds and I should start having blooms regularly too!

    Thanks for sharing that pic.

    Darren

  • karyn1
    11 years ago

    Darren I decided to plant a vitifolia I picked up in FL in Dec in my sister's yard when I was back in Jan because it had gotten so big and loaded with buds. I hated to cut it back to ship it home. In the 4 weeks since I was last there it's really taken off and is covered with blooms. The one I keep here that I sink in the spring grows really well too but I have to chop it way back to move it in the fall. Vitifolia is one of my favorites. I'm going back to FL in a couple weeks and want to plant another variety in her yard as a pollinator. The vitifolia fruit is so pretty with the white stripes.

  • RetiredFlorida
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Going out to the yard now to get some more cuttings of my P.vitifolia. Does heat help speed up the process on cuttings of Passiflora?

    Darren

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