The Passiflora vine is covered with its fantastical flowers. The vine has grown heavily over the arbor we made for it and has spread to cover the next one over! It is engulfing the chaya plants, but I can cut the chaya back and they will be happy for the shade provided by the vine overhead. Hoping we don't have an incipient kudzu-type take over on our hands!
 |
| Flower-spangled passion fruit vine as seen from the veranda above. |
 |
| Chaya plant peaking out on the right from behind the cascading passion fruit vine. "Help me!" |
 |
| Blossoms nestled in the chaya leaves seen to the right. I harvest the young chaya leaves to cook like spinach, so I want to keep it alive and happy. |
The flowers of this particular passion fruit vine are basically white and purple with green sex organs. Some varieties are much more colorful than these. This plant is supposed to bear purple-skinned fruit; hope we find out this year.
Below are some images of the alien beauty of the flowers.
 |
| Fringed like a 1920's flapper! |
 |
| ET taking flight. |
 |
| Complex radial symmetry. I count 10 petals, 5 anthers, and 3 stigmas. Not to mention the hundreds of filaments. |
 |
| Yellow pollen knocked loose onto the purple bases of the filaments. |
If some of the pollen finds its way to the stigmas and if some rain falls (it's so dry right now!), this passion will bear fruit as all good passion does.
Those plants are spectacular. I can see how a happy plant in a tropical climate can get ambitions about world domination. Interesting that you can eat those leaves. An endless supply.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, it really looks like flapper. That's funny.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I ever saw a passion flower was in a citrus grove in central Florida. I was stunned and truly did imagine that it had come from outer space. "Alien" is the perfect word for their beauty.
ReplyDeleteWe grow passion flowers here too -- not sure it's the same species, though. It's amazing how adaptable they are! And usually quite vigorous, though the one on our patio has sort of been limping along in recent years.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as the fruit of passion, I hope it bears the fruit you desire.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular and otherworldly. What a great view from above.
ReplyDelete