Passiflora lutea Linnaeus. Common name: Yellow Passionflower, Little Passionflower. Phenology: May-Sep; Aug-Oct. Habitat: Woodlands, forests, thickets, maritime forests. Distribution: DE, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, and e. KS, south to c. peninsular FL, s. AL, s. MS, s. LA, and s. TX.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: Sometimes divided into two varieties, the more eastern var. lutea (west to WV and AL) with pilose calyx, petioles, and stems, and more western var. glabriflora Fernald (east to WV and AL) with glabrous calyx, petioles, and stems; it is not clear that this is anything more than a minor polymorphism.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl2, FNA6, K4, NcTx, NS, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, Killip (1938), Ulmer & MacDougal (2004); > Passiflora lutea L. var. glabriflora Fernald — C, F, G, GrPl, Il, Mo3, Tx, WV; > Passiflora lutea L. var. lutea — C, F, G, Tx, WV. Basionym: Passiflora lutea L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Passiflora lutea - FNA6
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Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: An herbaceous perennial vine of woodlands, forests, thickets and maritime forests.
Stems: Stems trailing and climbing with tightly coiled tendrils, smooth to densely hairy.
Leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate, 1-3 in. long, shallowly 3-lobed, often mottled with silvery gray, sparsely hairy beneath.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers 1-3 on stalks from leaf axils, yellowish-green, about 1/2 in. wide with a complex structure: 5 greenish, oblong sepals that are hairy on the outside, 5 slightly longer yellow-green petals, and a "crown" of green, thread-like segments (sometimes purple at the base) surrounding a central stalk supporting 5 stamens and a fleshy, green, 3-parted style.
Fruits: Fruit a green to black, oval or round berry.
Comments: An excellent source of nectar for butterflies.
Height: to 15 ft. long
plant sale text: Yellow passionflower has unusual greenish-yellow flowers up to one inch in diameter. Its an excellent source of nectar for butterflies. Small black berries follow the flowers. This SE native vine grows in open woods and at the edges of thickets. While uncommon, this vine is easy to grow. It is moderately tolerant of drought once its root system is established. Yellow passionflower has a tendency to spread via suckers and seedlings.
bloom table text:
description: An herbaceous perennial vine of woodlands, forests, thickets and maritime forests.
stems: Stems trailing and climbing with tightly coiled tendrils, smooth to densely hairy.
leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate, 1-3 in. long, shallowly 3-lobed, often mottled with silvery gray, sparsely hairy beneath.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers 1-3 on stalks from leaf axils, yellowish-green, about 1/2 in. wide with a complex structure: 5 greenish, oblong sepals that are hairy on the outside, 5 slightly longer yellow-green petals, and a "crown" of green, thread-like segments (sometimes purple at the base) surrounding a central stalk supporting 5 stamens and a fleshy, green, 3-parted style.
fruits: Fruit a green to black, oval or round berry.
comments: An excellent source of nectar for butterflies.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern United States
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