Many people are interested in planting wildlife friendly gardens. Often, one of the main things that people focus on is planting pollinator friendly plants. These pollinator plants are wonderful sources of food not only for honey bees, but also for a myriad of native bees that provide us with valuable pollination services. So, for those of you wondering what passion flowers are best for pollinators, here is a list of 5 passion flowers that we find to be pollinator magnets in our garden.
1. Passiflora incarnata
Passiflora incarnata, the maypop, is much loved by pollinators. This is evidenced by the copious amounts of edible fruit the vine produces every year. Because Passiflora incarnata is native to the south eastern United States, it makes sense that native bees love this plant.
Passiflora incarnata typically produces small to medium sized light purple blooms in abundance all summer long. However, it can also be found with pure white flowers, or pink blooms. While many other passion flowers produce larger blooms, incarnata more than makes up for the lack of size with sheer number. Many passion flowers are stingy with their blossoms, not so with incarnata! This plant will churn out flower after flower all summer long even in cooler climates. It is a vigorous, care free vine once established. However, when choosing a location to plant it, keep in mind that it can get quite large and spread by root suckers if it is not controlled.
Passiflora incarnata, is one of the most cold hardy of all passion flowers. So, if you want an exotic, tropical looking plant, but you don’t live somewhere hot, this is the vine for you. It grows and flowers profusely even in colder climates adding a touch of exotic flare to almost any garden.
2. Passiflora ‘Fata Confetto’
The second plant on our list is Passiflora ‘Fata Confetto. In many ways Fata Confetto reminds us of P. incarnata. However, it is smaller, less vigorous vine with significantly larger, more fancy blooms. Like incarnata, Fata Confetto produces bloom after bloom all summer long. It is also relatively cold tolerant though not quite as hardy as incarnata.
Fata Confetto produces 4 inch blossoms in a very pleasant light purple shade. The petals are topped with a zillion long wavy filaments They are easy to grow and are a very well-mannered plant that can find a home in most any garden.
Passiflora Fata Confetto is a complex hybrid consisting of several different species including Passiflora incarnata. While it doesn’t qualify as a native plant, we find Fata Confetto to be equally as appealing to pollinators as incarnata. If you do not have the garden space to commit to a massive incarnata vine, Fata Confetto would make an excellent wildlife friendly substitute.
3. Passiflora ‘Blue Velvet’
The third variety on our list is Passiflora ‘Blue Velvet’. Blue Velvet is another incarnata relative and was a new addition to our collection for 2023. So far we have been very impressed both with its ornamental characteristics, but also its pollinator appeal.
Blue Velvet is very free flowering, producing huge, intensely purple blossoms all summer long. The flowers are heat tolerant, and the vine is a very attractive deep lush green. In addition to the curb appeal this on one of the more cold hardy passion flower varieties available. Not only is it cold tolerant, but also heat tolerant, and capable of continuing to bloom in high temperatures.
Blue Velvet is a remake of the very popular Passiflora ‘Incense’, so if you are familiar with Incense, it is similar in many ways. However, in our opinion it is a much improve option. Blue Velvet has larger, more intensely colored blossoms, and it is much more free blooming. It also seems more attractive to pollinators as evidenced by both their presence and the fruit it sets.
4. Passiflora ‘ Blue Eyed Susan’
Passiflora ‘Blue Eyed Susan’ is #4 on our list, and is once again, a P. incarnata child. By now you have probably noticed a theme. Our pollinators seem to love incarnata and its many hybrids. This makes sense as we are located in the heart of Passiflora incarnata’s native range.
Blue Eyed Susan has the largest, showiest blossoms of the plants on this list. They are a purplish-blue color with copious amounts of wavy filaments. The vine has a large coarse texture and glossy foliage courtesy of its relative Passiflora edulis.
Blue Eyed Susan is not cold hardy like most of the varieties on this list. However, it is well suited to container culture, and is much easier to maintain to a reasonable size than many passion flowers. Its fragrant blooms would make it the perfect addition as a patio container plant. It loves warm weather and flowers freely for us in the summer months. Often the flowers are followed by edible fruits similar to, but in our opinion a bit sweeter and tastier than maypop fruits.
5. Passiflora ‘Blue Bouquet’
The last plant on our list is not an incarnata hybrid, but rather a Passiflora caerulea hybrid. Passiflora ‘Blue Bouquet’ is significantly different looking than the other varieties on this list. It does not get as much attention as many other varieties, however, it is one of our garden favorites. This is because it is very reliable.
Blue Bouquet produces an abundance of blueish-purple 3″ flowers, all summer and until frost. It is very free flowering, and our vine will often have dozens of open flowers on it at any given time. Most of those flowers will have a swarm of bees pollinating them. One unique thing about this vine is that despite the pollinator attention, it has never set any fruit for us. So, if you want to attract pollinators without producing messy fruit to clean up, Blue Bouquet is a good choice.
One thing we really love about this care free vine is that it is so ambitious about producing blossoms, that it will often produce flower buds in pairs. It is also a large, rapidly growing vine that can cover an ugly fence quickly.
Blue Bouquet is heat tolerant and will continue flowering through the hottest days of summer in our garden. It is also somewhat cold tolerant. It seems to reliably reappear in our zone 8 garden. For those of you who live in colder climates, it is easily adapted to growing in a container and will flower equally as freely as if it were planted in the ground.
If none of these passion flowers suit your tastes
Keep in mind that many of our other passion flowers are also visited by bees. These just seem to be their top 5 choices in our garden. If none of these flowers suit your tastes, check out one of our other varieties that come in a range of colors. Regardless of what variety you choose, you are likely still providing food for pollinators. If you find that a different variety is a pollinator favorite in your garden, we would love to hear about it!
To get more gardening tips like this, please sign up for our newsletter!
Please remember
The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.
