# purple passionflower (*Passiflora incarnata*) The purple passionflower is a beautiful flower with unique shapes and colors. It has lovely purple petals and a special fruit that many animals enjoy eating. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Passionflower ![purple passionflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gc2_passiflora_incarnata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hans-Simon Holtzbecker, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gc2_passiflora_incarnata.jpg) ## Appearance The purple passionflower has incredibly intricate, star-like flowers with white petals, purple-pink filaments in a wavy corona, and distinct yellow stamens and pistils. This fast-growing vine uses curly tendrils to climb, often covering fences and other plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Malpighiales - **Family:** Passifloraceae - **Genus:** Passiflora ## Interesting facts - Its flower's parts symbolize elements of the Christian passion story! - Some people brew its leaves into a soothing herbal tea! - The delicious, tangy fruit is packed with healthy vitamins! - This amazing plant can grow up to 20 feet in a single season! ## Special abilities - **Climbing Creator:** Purple passionflower can sprout curly tendrils that wrap around supports, helping it climb high to reach sunlight. - **Sleepy Secret:** This plant contains compounds that have a calming effect, traditionally used to help people relax and sleep. - **Pollinator Party:** Its large, complex flowers are perfectly shaped to attract big bees, ensuring efficient pollen transfer. - **Butterfly Booster:** It acts as a nursery for Gulf Fritillary butterfly caterpillars, providing their essential food source. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-900 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 5-9 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Gulf Fritillary butterfly (*Heliconius pascoensis*) — Larvae munch its leaves to grow. - **Pollinates:** [Eastern carpenter bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) — Large bees are ideal for its unique flowers. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees gather nectar, helping spread pollen. - **Eats:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Birds enjoy its ripe, sweet fruits. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch the flowers without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify purple passionflower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is purple passionflower? 300-900 cm ### How wide does purple passionflower spread? 100-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on purple passionflower? 5-9 cm ### When does purple passionflower bloom? Summer to fall ### Is purple passionflower edible? Yes ### Is purple passionflower toxic? Mild ### What is purple passionflower's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Bainbridge Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bainbridge-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Columbia Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-canal) — South Carolina, US · Historic Site - [Conestee Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/conestee-nature-preserve) — South Carolina, US · Nature Reserve - [Hartwell Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hartwell-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Houston Arboretum and Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see purple passionflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/purple-passionflower) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Purple Passionflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/purple-passionflower)