Maypop Passion Flower

Biological Name:

Maypop-Passion-Flower – Passiflora incarnata

Natural Habitat:

The natural habitat of Maypop-Passion-Flower is likely moist, shaded areas, such as forests and meadows, in temperate regions.

Description:

Maypop-passion-flower is a type of flowering plant that is commonly found in fields and other grassy areas. It is a member of the Passifloraceae family which also includes plants such as passion fruit and granadilla. Maypop-passion-flower is an annual or perennial plant that produces small white or purple flowers and clusters of seeds. The plant is often used as a cover crop to improve soil health and suppress weeds. It is also known for its ability to tolerate a wide range of growing conditions including wet or dry soils. In some areas maypop-passion-flower is considered a weed because of its ability to invade cultivated areas and cause allergies and other health problems.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can you eat maypop Passion Flower?
A: Although the ripe fruit is by far the most delicious part of a maypop plant, all other parts of the plant are technically edible too: roots, leaves, and flowers.
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Q: Who should not take passionflower?
A: DO NOT take passionflower if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For others, passionflower is generally considered to be safe and nontoxic in recommended doses and for less than 2 months at a time.
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Q: How do you know when a maypop is ripe?
A: Harvest in late summer to early autumn; September- November. Ripe fruit will be about the size of an egg. Ripe fruit is wrinkly and will pull easily from the vine; or wait for the mature fruit to drop before harvesting. Fresh fruit can be stored for a week or two at cool room temperature.
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Q: How do I get rid of maypop?
A: In fencerows, landscapes, or other areas where spot spraying is acceptable, a 1 to 5% solution of glyphosate should also provide good control of maypop passionflower.
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Q: Can you eat the fruit off of a passion flower vine?
A: The fruit of the passionflower is often the size of a hen’s egg. The core is packed with seeds, but the edible flesh is delicious and has to be one of the most intensely and enticingly scented of all fruits. The pulp is very sweet and often used for beverages and jams.
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Q: Is maypop the same as passion flower?
A: The maypop is one of several common names associated with this native vine named Passiflora incarnata (pass-ee-FLOR-uh in-kar-NAH-tuh) that grows throughout the southeastern United States. Other names include passion vine, passionflower, all with very interesting stories behind their origins.
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Q: What is maypop good for?
A: Medicinal Uses Maypops is a valuable sedative and tranquillising herb with a long history of use in North America[254]. It is frequently used in the treatment of insomnia, epilepsy, hysteria etc[254].
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Q: Do maypops spread?
A: The fruit is a large, orange-yellow berry with edible pulp. Like some other passion vines, Maypop spreads by root suckers. This unusual flower is widely distributed in the Southeast, especially from Florida to Texas.
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Q: Can you eat maypop seeds?
A: Caution: Maypops’ green skin is edible raw but too many can burn the mouth. The rind is better cooked. The pulp-covered seeds in a green or yellow maypop are quite edible. “Maypops” is a two-season name.
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Q: Can you eat passion flower berries?
A: The fruit of the passionflower is often the size of a hen’s egg. The core is packed with seeds, but the edible flesh is delicious and has to be one of the most intensely and enticingly scented of all fruits. The pulp is very sweet and often used for beverages and jams. Pick your own edible species and experiment.
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Q: How big do maypop plants get?
A: Fast growing Maypop vines can reach heights of 8-12 feet in a single season, ideal for use on trellises, to cover fences and weave through open form shrubs. The spectacular purple flowers with their characteristic complex structure develop from mid summer through early fall.
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Q: How do I use maypop?
A: Using & Freezing Maypops To enjoy the freshly harvested fruit, eat the yellowed flesh around the seeds by popping the tangy little packets in your mouth, and use your teeth to separate out the seed from the fruit. Spit out the seeds, and where they land, you might just get a new plant next year!
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Q: Can you eat unripe maypop?
A: Caution: Maypops’ green skin is edible raw but too many can burn the mouth. The rind is better cooked. The pulp-covered seeds in a green or yellow maypop are quite edible.
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Q: Is Passiflora toxic to dogs?
A: Passionflower is a perennial vine with vibrant purple flowers. It is best known for its natural calming properties. This purple flower has been used for medicinal purposes for many years and is completely safe for dogs.
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Q: Can I eat wild passion fruit?
A: When ripe, the skin of the fruit wrinkles slightly, changes color to a greenish-yellow to yellow to brownish-yellow and softens. At this point the fruit (technically a berry) is edible. Yours should be ripening soon. The seed-filled pulp of the fruit is the part that is eaten.
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Q: Are maypops healthy?
A: Health benefits of Maypop Fruit Many clinical studies imply that it has the capacity to perk up the subjective quality of sleep when it is consumed in the form of tea. An extract of the plant is highly sedative and helps in slightly reducing blood pressure while increasing respiratory rate.
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Q: Why is a passion flower called a maypop?
A: The species name, incarnata, means “in the flesh”” or “”incarnate.”” The common name “”maypops”” refers to the fruits which in the South ripen in May and pop when crushed.
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Q: What are maypops good for?
A: Medicinal Uses Maypops is a valuable sedative and tranquillising herb with a long history of use in North America[254]. It is frequently used in the treatment of insomnia, epilepsy, hysteria etc[254].
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Q: What does maypop smell like?
A: Underripe maypops can be particularly sour. The aroma of a ripe purple passion fruit smells like you died and went to tropical heaven! Due to the large black edible seeds, the texture is crunchy – though some folks choose to spit out the seeds. The pulp can also be juiced to separate out the seeds.
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Q: Are maypop seeds edible?
A: Caution: Maypops’ green skin is edible raw but too many can burn the mouth. The rind is better cooked. The pulp-covered seeds in a green or yellow maypop are quite edible. “Maypops” is a two-season name.
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Q: Are passion flowers poisonous to humans?
A: Poisoning. Blue passionflower leaves and unripe fruit contain cyanogenic glycosides which turn into cyanide when eaten. It can cause nausea and vomiting in humans and animals. Toxic parts of the plant are bitter and not usually eaten so poisoning is not common and rarely serious.
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Q: Does maypop need trellis?
A: Maypops prefers a poor soil and too much fertilizer can cause the plants to produce lush vegetative growth at the expense of flowers. As the vines grow, train them on a support system such as a trellis or fence. Maypops grows with tendrils that will twine around a trellis.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.