SEED ORDERS OVER $100 SHIP FREE!
Passiflora incarnata

Purple Passion Flower

$3.00 - $15.00

Packet
$3.00
1/8 oz.
$10.00
1/4 oz.
$15.00

Purple Passion Flower is a perennial vine with an intricate, unusual flower. The fall fruit is a large, edible yellowish-orange berry. It spreads by root suckers. Purple Passion Flower is one of the host plants of the Mexican Fritillary butterfly and the Variegated Fritillary butterfly.

Although reliably winter hardy to USDA zone 5, Passion Flower can survive in Zone 4 if you have just the right protected micro climate to plant in. In the summer of 2012 , Prairie Moon grew and planted 8 vines to a gallon size pot with 2-3’ of growth in several likely locations around the nursery. In late fall we did a heavy mulch of 10-12” compost to protect the young vines against our Minnesota winter. Only 1 vine survived the first winter. But we have it still, and it seems quite happy, although it does not come up until early summer.

Live Plant Shipping Table

Spring Fall Age/Size
Potted 3-Packs May/June September 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep pots

Passiflora incarnata - Purple Passion Flower

Map Key

Present in state
Present but introduced in county
Present and native in county; not rare
Not present in state
Present and native in county; rare
Species extirpated (historic)
State or county listed as noxious
Present in state; exotic

This map shows the native and introduced (adventive) range of this species. Given appropriate habitat and climate, native plants can be grown outside their range.

8 Questions asked on Passiflora incarnata

Will these flower the first season? Will they come back next year?
No, it's unlikely it will flower the first year from germinated seed since it is a perennial. As long as you are in a warmer climate, it will come back year after year. Zone 4-5, where we are, it does grow, but can winter-kill in a severe winter.
Is the growing season in zone 6 long enough for it to produce fruit?
Yes, we are zone 4, bordering on a zone 5, and it grows here, although it gets a very late start it seems, because of our MN climate. I think it will thrive in zone 6. We get fruit, but just a few, on a vine that climbs a trellis we built by the office. Those are the photos you see on this page. Again, I think it would be much happier in zone 6+ and should produce fruit by year 3-4 if started from seed. Good luck!
How many days does it take the seeds to germinate?
Hi Terri. Note the Germination Code on this web page; this species needs approximately 60 days of cold, moist stratification. Given that it is mid-June we would suggest you wait to plant it outdoors late fall on a prepared site, rather than start artificial stratification now and take out seed in 60 days (mid-Aug).

Once the seed goes through stratification, it should germinate soon after.

Do deer love it ?
Hi Marina, In doing some research, I found that deer don't tend to consume the Purple Passion Flower plant. The edible fruits do attract smaller mammals, however.
what is their origin ? Do they come from the U.S.?
Hi Sandra, Yes, they are from the US! It’s hard to believe that such a tropical-looking plant is native all the way north to the shores of Lake Erie. This past spring we had Passion Flower in potted 3-packs which we grew from from seed sourced from Illinois.
My passionflower really outdid itself. Vines, flowers, and fruit, clear through October. I'm in zone 6. It's late November now and the leaves have withered. Should I cut the vines down?
That's amazing, Kim! Trimming the vines for the winter months will not harm the plant, although cutting them down is not necessary. In more southern climates, this species may become woody and grow foliage from mature stems - but if you experience cold, snowy winters, your Purple Passion Flower will most likely grow back from the roots.
I'd like to have some passionflower climbing up a trellis my husband built, but that would involve putting them into 2-gallon pots that fit into the base of the trellis. Do you think they could make it? I'm in central IL.
Hi Jean. Installing Prairie Moon live plants in containers voids our guarantee, but if you are willing to take that risk and experiment, there are strategies for getting some species to acclimate and live happily in pots. Keeping this species in containers could be very convenient, especially if the pot sitting in the trellis base is above ground level. Central IL is at the northern edge of Purple Passion Flower's native range, so you may want to trim it in fall and bring the pot indoors to overwinter. If it continues to flourish, you will need to trim the roots and repot it every few years. Let us know how it goes!
Are there are special overwintering instructions? Living in southern Ontario, winters are really mild, but some years are intense.
Passion Flower can survive in our Zone 4 climate (average low -20 to -30 F / -29 to -34 C) if you have just the right protected micro climate to plant in. A south-facing wall or inside corner protected from north winds would be best. In late fall, do a heavy mulch of 10-12” compost to protect the young vines against winter. Make sure to remove the mulch in early June. Then hope - but don't give up hope too early. Our Passion Flower vine here in southeast Minnesota comes up very late compared to other perennials.

Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

To learn more, read our BLOG: How to Germinate Native Seeds

Dormant Bare Root Plants

We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants

Potted Plants

3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Potted 3-packs and trays of 38 plugs are started from seed in the winter so are typically 3-4 months old when they ship. Trays of 32/50 plugs are usually overwintered so are 1 year old. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.

Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

SEED $100.00 and under: $5.00
Retail SEED orders over $100.00 ship free!

Custom seed mixes or discounted seed sales over $100, add 5% of the total seed cost
(for orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required)

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS $50.00 and under: $9.00
over $50.00: 18% of the total plant cost. (For orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required.)

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 32/38/50 plugs and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.

Details

Seeds/Packet
10
Seeds/Ounce
750
Germination Code
C(60)
Life Cycle
Perennial
Sun Exposure
Full, Partial
Soil Moisture
Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Height
up to 20 feet
Bloom Time
June, July, August, September, October
Bloom Color
Purple
USDA Zones
5-9
Plant Spacing
8-12''
Catalog Code
PAS02T