The Unique Purple Flower That Will Attract Pollinators To Your Yard Like Magic

A yard full of pollinators can be a joy to watch. From elegant butterflies to buzzing bees and even amazing hummingbirds, the right plants can fill your yard with these amazing and beneficial animals. One of the best plants for pollinators, is also a beautiful flowering vine that can add unique blooms to your garden. This amazing plant is none other than the beautiful passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).

Native to the southeastern United States, passionflowers are hardy in zones 5 through 9 and boast fragrant flowers in late spring through early summer. The flowers then develop into the unique North American fruits known as maypops. While some people harvest and eat the passionflowers or their fruits, be aware that the leaves and vines of the plant are toxic. If you do decide to harvest some for yourself, be careful not to disturb the caterpillars who use the passionflower vines as a host plant. Let them be, and they will eventually reward you with a yard full of butterflies.

You can purchase passionflower vines either as seeds or as young plants. Regardless of what you opt for, you'll need to provide your plant with well-draining soil and at least part, if not full, sun if you want it to grow its best. Once they're established, passionflowers can be impressively resistant to drought, so they could be perfect for gardeners in the southeastern states like Florida who want to xeriscape. Passionflowers are deer resistant as well, so no need to create a fence to keep deer out if you're growing these beauties.

While they're normally grown as vines and can look stunning covering a trellis, you can also prune your passionflower plants and grow them as bushes. Regardless of which shape you choose to grow your plants into, they're sure to be one of your local pollinators' new favorites. So don't forget to grow your passionflower in a spot where you'll be able to observe and enjoy all your new visitors.