Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Promoting environmentally sound gardening practices for over 35 years!

Fothergilla gardenii Witch Alder
Fothergilla gardenii (Witch Alder). Photo © Mary Free
You are here: Home / Plants / Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic / Vines / Passiflora incarnata (Purple Passionflower, Maypop)

Passiflora incarnata (Purple Passionflower, Maypop)

Passiflora incarnate flower detail
Passiflora incarnata flower with Ailanthus web worm in August.
Passiflora incarnata flowers and buds in August
Passiflora incarnata flower in August.
Passiflora incarnata vine in August.
Passiflora incarnata fruit in August.

Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol (circle with a letter ℹ︎ symbol).

Found naturally* along roadsides, pastures, and open woods, the exotic flowers and edible fruit of Purple Passionflower make this unique vine a striking ornamental plant for the garden. The common name, Maypop, refers to the fruit, which makes a loud popping sound when stomped on. Vine Flower Close-up, Flowering Vine, Fruit Height: 6–8 feet Spread: 3–6 feet Bloom color: Lavender, white (rarely) Characteristics Rapid-growing, tendril-climbing, deciduous vine Three-lobed, medium to dark green leaves Usually fragrant, 3-inch flowers crowned with wavy filaments and a showy center column of stamens and stigmas; bloom May to October Pulpy, edible, egg-shaped fruits (maypops), ripen to yellow-green for harvest mid-summer into fall Spreads rapidly by root suckers Attributes Tolerates clay soil and drought; no serious pests or diseases Moderate deer resistance Ethnobotanic uses; fruit eaten fresh or cooked Attracts butterflies and bees to its flowers; wild turkeys eat young tendrils; larval host for Gulf and Variegated Fritillary butterflies Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil requirements: Average, well-drained Ampelopsis brevipedunculata - Porcelain Berry Light requirements: Sun Celastrus orbiculatus - Chinese/Oriental Bittersweet Water requirements: Moist Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle Remove suckers on regular basis to control spread Cover roots lightly with mulch Use on arbors, fences, posts, and walls or on slopes for erosion control *It is native in DC; adventive (non-native, escaped from cultivation) in DE’s Coastal Plain; and absent in PA. In VA, it is common in the Coastal Plain and outer southern Piedmont, infrequent elsewhere in the Piedmont, and rare in the mountains. It is native to NoVA, except for Loudoun County. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5–9 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Alyssa Ford Morel, Elaine Mills, and Jane Longan, private gardens. Arlington, Virginia

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

Print Version (Legal Size):
Passiflora incarnata (Purple Passionflower, Maypop)

Found naturally* along roadsides, pastures, and open woods, the exotic flowers and edible fruit of Purple Passionflower make this unique vine a striking ornamental plant for the garden. The common name, Maypop, refers to the fruit, which makes a loud popping sound when stomped on.

*It is native in DC; adventive (non-native, escaped from cultivation) in DE’s Coastal Plain; and absent in PA. In VA, it is common in the Coastal Plain and outer southern Piedmont, infrequent elsewhere in the Piedmont, and rare in the mountains. It is native to NoVA, except for Loudoun County.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets