Yesterday, shile I was teaching my daughter how to weed-whack the back yard, we came across a creeping vine with the strangest flower on it. It’s quite pretty, actually, but a little unnerving, because I was under the impression that the only creeping vine-type plant I had in the back yard was nasturtiums (I’m not counting the star jasmine as a vine, even though it creeps the hell out of my back yard. Or something).
At first, I wondered if it was the “rooster” of my nasturtium vine, and all the more traditionally nasturtium-appearing flowers were the “hens” (I know; it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, either, but heard that some plants, at least, have male and female specimens). Then I noticed that there are some pods on the vine that [del]are[/del] were planning to open into similar flowers. It also has leaves that are NOT like nasturtium leaves at all.
So I had my daughter snap the accompanying shots so I could ask the Dopers what this plant is. Hey Dopers! What is this plant/vine/flower?*
I won’t ask for speculation as to how my nasturtium converted itself into this, though; I later noticed that it’s coming through the board fence I share with my next-door neighbor.
As always, thanks in advance.
*If it’s useful information, I live in USDA Hardiness Zone 10a.
They are very invasive vines, unless you have a very specific reason for wanting to keep it I would pull out as many as I see. I have them comming up under my baseboards in the house!
Specifically, it seems to be the Passion Fruit or granadilla Passiflora edulis, although the leaves seem a little off. They are cultivated in California.
The derivation of the name is because the peculiar flower and other features of the plant have been taken as symbols of Christ’s Passion.
I noticed this morning that a bit of the vine is entangling itself with the jasmine that’s obscuring our bedroom window; I think I’ll encourage that, and hope for passion fruit mimosas some time in the next couple of seasons.
Ooh! Passionflower! Pretty! (And pretty weird looking. Passionflower look to me like an alien invasion.)
Just curious - anyone at home suffering from high blood pressure, anxiety/depression, insomnia, ADHD or similar nervous complaints? I’m always intrigued by “volunteer” plants, and find that more often than not, the medicinals show up where they’re needed. They may not always be the best medicinal choice, but they’re there, ready and willing to be put to use if you so choose!
I think the OP’s specimen is actually Passiflora caerulea - widely grown as a garden ornamental - similar flowers to edulis - and a more hardy plant, with more compact, darker green leaves.
