by Jacob Crider

Found throughout the state of Kentucky, in fields, farms, forest edges, and backyards, is the stunning American Passionflower (Passiflora americana)! This summer and autumnal flower, commonly referred to as a Maypop, has a unique and beautiful flower structure that is especially alluring to bees such as carpenter bees and bumblebees. A crownlike organ known as a corona rises above its petals and sepals and has gorgeous lavender white fringes.

In late summer and fall, these vining plants produce small, green spherical shaped fruits. These fruits are edible to humans and animals and have a soft and powdery pulp on the inside. They are mildly sweet and are full of small gel covered seeds. American passionflowers are pollinated in a charismatic and fascinating way, where bees twirl around the flower like a carousel, coating themselves in the decadent pollen. Passionflowers are an important plant in grassland and forest ecosystems, holding other wildflowers and grasses together, and providing food for wildlife and pollinating insects.

Passionflowers make great additions to native gardens, fences, trellises, and in natural areas. They can spread quickly, so collecting fruits and pulling the occasional shoot is recommended to avoid overgrowth in the garden. On your next visit to Creasey Mahan, look for these amazing flowers in our meadows and our bird blind garden.