Hardy Passiflora
James Waddick (Wed, 25 Apr 2007 06:20:47 PDT)

Dear All;
Now that Dennis has open this 'box', I'll add 2 cents.
I grow P. incarnata here with little trouble and I know where
it has been for years longer than mine. I have never tried P. lutea,
but it is native not too far south of me in Missouri.

I have tried and lost the hybrid 'Incense' ( a cross of P.
incarnata x P. circinnatum( A South American species)). I have seen
it grown successfully near here, but suspect it is very "on the
edge". *

I must note Elizabeth Peters of Grassy Knoll Exotic Plants
(http://www.gkexoticplants.com/)

She is very generous in sharing info and offers a number
sibling crosses to 'Incense' such as 'Blue Velvet', '
Temptations' and others. She has also suggested other potentially
hardy species such as P. gracilis (out of stock - does any one have
seeds or plants to share?)

P. incarnata has such intense and unique flowers it is well
worth growing although it can be quite a pest in sending up shoots
all over the place. Siting is important. I wish more people in
colder climate would have some interest in developing hardier hybrids
as obviously these are possible.

Dennis this is a good new topic here. Thanks Jim W.

* Incidentally Elizabeth thinks that all commercial stocks of
'Incense' are infected with a virus that cause it grow less
vigorously and mean less hardiness without actually killing the
plants. New hybrids are virus free and some tetraploids may be even
MORE vigorous and hardy. My kind of plants.

--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +