I’ve picked some wild maypops (Passiflora incarnata) when I was living in MO and they were tasty, but they were never very large, often egg-sized or smaller. I’m not sure if that was a result of the slightly shaded site or the genetics. I’ve seen some pictures where the fruits are close in size to baseballs and were way more packed with the good stuff.
It seems like the species’ wide range could lead to populations with variable levels of cold hardiness as well as fruit size and productivity. I wanted to add some maypops to my zone 6 garden next year, so I was curious if anyone knew a good source for seeds, or if anyone with some nice fruiting plants would be willing to share seed at some point.
I’m also wondering- how much fruit can a plant (or two for pollination) produce? I also realize this can be variable since one patch can grow into an out of control monster. It could be cool to do a little production trial.
Im fooling with them here in VT, though it remains to be seen just how viable they are here. I tamped down any interest I had in them for years thinking theyd probably be hardy but not ripen, but some of the correspondences Ive had with others have encouraged my spirit of adventure and my plant hoarding tendencies. A NAFEXer in high altitude Kentucky, for example, said he grew them on the north side of his house in semi-shade and ripened them in late Sept or so (if memory serves). When I inquired about his first and last frost dates, summer daytime and nighttime temps, they seemed shockingly close to conditions here.
I imagine, as you suggested, that different populations may have significantly different traits, and ripening time may be variable worth selecting for. That said, another NAFEXer from northern Kansas is growing maypops he brought back from northern Florida and he said despite his initial concerns that they might not do well in KS, they are growing and fruiting prolificly
Two of the maypop folks here to talk to here are @TrilobaTracker and @JeremiahT, incidentally. Both have posted some impressive pictures of giant maypops. Check out the search function if you havent
just over 2 5/8” diameter for the imperially minded among us. not too shabby! Do you see much variation in how much pulp or seeds there are? Youre in TN if K recall correctly. What’s youre earliest ripening date? I assume theyll keep right on flowering as long as weather is conducive. One of the seedlings I grew from those fruits you sent me flowered and set a fruit in early-mid July or so. It was the only flower at the time, so Im guessing that fruit (which is easily 2” diameter now) is hollow or mostly so. I have about a dozen in 1 gallon pots and another 20 or so still in 4”. The bigger ones are just hitting their stride now- lots and lots of flower buds. I know its too late for those. Any idea roughly the number of days between flower and ripe fruit?
Do you mean between different seedlings/vines?
If so, yes, a little. Most are pretty full though. There’s variation between plants on plumpness of each aril as well as color of the pulp.
Not sure how long from flower to ripe fruit. I may be able to deduce from my notes.
Some years I’ve had ripe fruit in July but this year they are very late. Just hitting their stride in terms of ripening in the last week or so.
They have always had a cyclical flowering for me. They go nuts early then take a break in later summer and then start back up. Right now here in mid TN they are in that second blossoming. But those will not ripen in time.
@TrilobaTracker Do you know where you sourced your original plants/ seed from? Looking at a picture you posted here, you mentioned some P. tucumanensis ancestry mixed in. What’s the story with that, and how does that seem to influence growth or fruit?
Hahaha
Well, you’re right that they are native here (actually the first official state wildflower)
But mine started from two purchased vines from Logees: a wild type and a white-flowered vine.
I saved and planted seeds and later was given seeds of mixed species by a nearby breeder.
The one with the large fruit was a seedling from somewhere along the line. It was actually discarded and left to die in a pot on the edge of my garden. But it rooted thru the pot and the rest is history
The original 2 vines from logees are long gone but a later generation seedling turned out to have white flowers too, and its fruit is the best tasting I have. But sadly the size is egg ish.
The tucumanensis hybrid seedling I grew out was interesting but not practical. The fruit was ping pong ball sized at best. Everything about the vine was diminutive. However, the flavor was crazy - syrupy longan tasting. Not sour.
I failed to mention i also bought a variety called Iridescence. The fruit was rather sour but more like P edulis. Because of the tartness I pulled it out. But it was a polyploid variety and may have influenced the seedlings I have.
Maybe try PeacefulHeratages @Blake’s maypops.
I have a few from him I started as seeds. I think he says his are a bit better genetically than other maypops he’s seen.
Its hard tracking everything on the larger maypop thread here and the FB Group im part of. Any worthwhile zone 5/6 hardy maypops/hybrids that make large and somewhat tasty fruit?
Anyone interested in selecting larger, tastier Maypops should definitely checkout the NJ based Experimental Farm Network’s collaborative breeding project.
A couple months ago they made a FB post about one of their bigger offspring’s less seedy pulp (average fruit on right for comparison):
Also this is our new clone I am working with that was a standout in our seedling rows. Yellow flesh with flavor almost as good as the tropical ones. Still trialing it, hoping to release in 2026.
