Maypop Passion Fruit: Zones 7b–11, Fruit and Care

Maypop, Passiflora incarnata, is the cold-hardy native passion flower, and UF/IFAS lists it for USDA zones 7b through 11. UF/IFAS calls it the most cold-hardy species native to the southern United States. It is not the purple passion fruit sold in shops, and the fruit is milder. This page covers maypop only. For the common passion fruit, read our passion fruit vine guide, and to compare types, see the passion fruit varieties guide.

USDA zones

7b–11 (UF/IFAS FP457)

Sun

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Difficulty

Easy

Lifecycle

Perennial

Origin

The Americas

Container friendly

Yes

Species

Passiflora incarnata, native to the southern US, not P. edulis (UF/IFAS)

Fruit

Ovoid, green to yellow, abundant on the vine with the flowers (UF/IFAS)

Flavor

Insipid to slightly sweet (UF/IFAS)

Propagation

Seeds or cuttings (UF/IFAS)

Other names

Wild passion flower, passion flower (UF/IFAS)

Maypop vs passion fruit

The passion fruit most gardeners want is Passiflora edulis, the purple or yellow vine that ripens a round fruit full of aromatic pulp. UF/IFAS says to avoid confusing it with maypop. They are different species, and the difference shows in where each grows and what you get from it.

The maypop fruit and flower

UF/IFAS describes ovoid green fruits, abundantly produced and found on the vine along with the flowers. It also says the fruit are yellow to green and insipid to slightly sweet. In plain terms, the fruit is mild, not the sharp, aromatic pulp of purple passion fruit, so you may want to grow maypop mainly for the vine and the flower, with the fruit as a bonus.

The flower is the real draw. It has a fringed, purple-and-white corona around a green central column, like the flower of any passion fruit vine. Our guide on why a passion fruit flowers but does not fruit describes the parts of the flower.

Where maypop grows

The zone range is the point. UF/IFAS lists maypop for zones 7b through 11, which takes in colder winters than those suited to purple passion fruit. UF/IFAS suggests zones 9b and above for P. edulis, and says mature P. edulis vines can be killed to the ground by prolonged freezing and temperatures in the low to mid 20s°F. If you live in zone 7b, 8 or 9a and want a passion flower in the ground, maypop is the species to choose.

At the cold end of that range, mulch the base of the vine well before winter, as you would for any perennial climber. Our passion fruit vine guide covers cold protection for the tropical types.

How to grow maypop

UF/IFAS says maypop is propagated by seeds or cuttings. You can start it from either, or buy a plant from a nursery that sells native plants. Ask for Passiflora incarnata by its Latin name, since maypop and passion flower are used loosely.

After that, treat it like other passion flower vines. Give it a sunny spot, well-drained soil and a trellis or fence to climb, and water it steadily while it establishes. The care in our passion fruit vine guide is a good starting point, though that guide’s temperature and fertilizing advice is written for P. edulis, so watch what your maypop does and adjust.

Should you grow maypop?

Choose maypop if your winters are too cold for purple passion fruit and you want a passion flower vine that is hardy in your ground. Choose purple passion fruit, such as Possum Purple, if you live in zones 9b–11 and want fruit you can scoop and eat. If you are in between, you can also grow a purple type in a pot and bring it in for winter, and grow a maypop in the ground.

Where to buy maypop

Look for maypop at nurseries that specialize in native plants, at county extension plant sales and at local fruit-growers clubs, and check the label for the Latin name. You can also grow it from seed or cuttings, as UF/IFAS describes. Once you have it planted, our passion fruit varieties guide can help you decide whether a second type is worth the space.