Weekly Puzzler Answer #134

Did you recognize last week’s beautiful purple flower and green fruit? It is Purple Passionflower, (Passiflora incarnate)a vine that is also called  maypop, apricot vine, wild apricot, wild passion flower, Holy-Trinity flower, passion vine, maracoe, maycock, sarsaparilla, molly-pop, and granadilla.

Purple passionflower is native to North America and endemic to the southeastern United States. It is a fast-growing perennial vine that sends out tendrils that wrap around other plants for it to grow on. I have seen many of these while out doing photography and find them to be such artful subjects. Vines can grow as much as 20 feet a year.

In the world there are 500 species of passion flowers, most of them are vines but a few are shrubs too. They like filtered sun or partial shade and are hosts to more than 70 different species of butterflies, including the gulf

and variegated fritillary. Both of these are lovely butterflies that have equally lovely chrysalises. You may recall I watched one emerge as a butterfly recently. You can see this lovely chrysalis as well as the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis here.

Of the 500 passion flower species, 60 species have edible fruit. It is said to resemble a pomegranate inside. I have not tried it, though maybe next summer I will give it a try!

Have YOU ever tried this fruit? What did it taste like?

If you want, check out the next puzzler here–it is about one of the most famous Halloween creatures... and as always, have a fabulous weekend! See you again soon.