Flower Identification

[sharon]

As some of you may have read, I took my beautiful daughter to Glen Ivey Hot Springs Spa last Fri for her belated b-day spa day. Now, I need to tell you that this girl was raised to know right from wrong. Evidently, some of the lessons didn't take very well. First she tried to smuggle in a couple of hard boiled eggs...the sign at the front of the spa says no outside food or drink. So, there she was, stuffing eggs in her mouth before we went in. Then, when I asked her if she enjoyed her massage, she said yes, but are you supposed to take your bathing suit off? I almost cracked up laughing! Uh, yeah, Niche, thought you had had a massage before. Yes, she said, but last year it was in the pool and we wore our bathing suits. I wondered why the masseuse told me to get under the sheet and then left for 5 minutes. You need to understand that the spa is pretty jungle like over most of the grounds and she loves flowers, so why was I surprised when we got home and she pulled this out of her bag and wondered if I know what kind of flower it was? She swore she didn't pick it, when she tried to smell it, it fell off the vine. Anyway, anyone know what this is?





The outside smells like mild skunk and the inside smells like honey.

[Liz]

I say it's a Passion flower (Passiflora phoenicia or alata).
Do you know why this is called the passion flower?
It represents the Passion of Christ.
The 10 Petals of the flower represent the 10 apostles who were present at the crucifixion. The Holy Trinity is portrayed by the 3 secondary calyx leaf bracts. The 72 filaments symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus. The 3 stigmas represent Christ and the 2 thieves on the the crosses

[sharon]

Thank you Liz, my daughter will be delighted with that ID and will probably try and grow one, if for no other reason than what the flower represents. Altho she did fall in love with it and was fascinated with its beauty. This makes it even better.

[AlmostThere]

The History of the Passion Flower
The Passion Flower is a common roadside weed, found throughout many areas of the Southeastern United States where it often grows in large masses in ditches and open fields.
Passiflora incarnata derived the early common name of Maypop from the way it just seems to 'pop' out of the ground in May.
Maypops were eventually renamed as the Passion Flower by missionaries in the early 1500s.
The missionaries believed (or professed) that several parts of the plant, including the petals, rays, and sepals, symbolized features of the crucifixion of Christ.
Regardless of what you choose to call the Passiflora incarnata vine, these 3 inch diameter flowers are very unique and beautiful.
They begin blooming in July and continue until frost.
The vines can easily grow up to 15 feet in a season.
Grow it on a fence or trellis, or simply allow it to scramble harmlessly over your shrubs and trees.

Growing Requirements of Passion Flower Plants
Passion flowers are considered to be hardy in USDA zones 5-9, but they should be planted in a protected location
and mulched heavily if severe cold threatens. Only the top growth is killed back by frost, but
your Passion Flower will pop back to life in the Spring.
Passion Flowers are easy to grow. They need partial to full sun, and will adapt themselves to most well-drained soils.
During the growing season, the soil should be kept evenly moist, to ensure good flowering and growth.
Apply a balanced (10-5-20) fertilizer in the early spring, and then again six to eight weeks later.
Passion Flower vines should be planted in early spring. They benefit by the addition of compost to the planting hole.

The Fruit of the Passion Flower
The fruit produced by the Passion Flower is an oval berry, a little smaller than a kiwi fruit.
Passion Fruit is edible, but it is pretty seedy.
It can be used to make jelly, but its best usage may come from being a food source for several species of butterfly and their larvae.
Propagating Passion Flower Vines
Passion Flowers can be propagated by softwood cuttings taken from mature wood in early summer. Softwood cuttings will take 3 months or longer to root.
Passion Flowers can also be grown from seed.
The seeds must be soaked in warm water for 12 hours, before sowing indoors in early spring.
Germination may take up to a year, so be patient.
It is probably a good idea to keep the young plants indoors until the following Spring, and then plant them outdoors in their permanent homes.
Passion flowers make excellent container grown plants in the home.
Indoors, grow Passion Plants in bright light but never full sun.

[cpatinjones]

Interesting facts and history of the Passion flower.

[snowball]

could be... but in the southwestern states book it shows a western peony that is very similar to what you posted.....and when I looked for passion flower under that name passion flower didn't show one. might check that out ... funny thing is I have always lived in the west and our peony's were like everyone else's. Any way just thought I'd put in another thought
sheila

[sharon]

Thanks AlmostThere, I'll send this on to my daughter. She'll be delighted that it's so easy to grow.

Sheila, thanks for the info, I looked up the name that Liz posted and it looks just like the one Niche filched...er..found? rescued? Whatever.