Purple Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

Also called Passion Vine

Hills guide picknative · Central Texas

Purple Passionflower is a vine native to Central Texas that grows 6–15 ft tall and 5 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and low to medium water, and handles clay soil. Blooms pink, blue and purple in Mar–Nov. Good for butterflies.

Will it grow in your yard?

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From our guide

Village of the Hills

Herbaceous vine with intricate lavender flowers and edible fruit. Dies back in winter.

Why it works here

The larval host for Gulf fritillary butterflies — plant it and they will find it, usually within a season.

Watch out

Spreads by underground runners well away from where you planted it. Site it where that is acceptable.

The facts

7 sources

Type: Vine
Sun: Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
Water: Low to medium
Height: 6–15 ft
Spread: 5 ft
Bloom: Mar–Nov · pink, blue, purple
Foliage: Deciduous
Soil: Takes clay · recorded on clay, dry, loam, moist, sand, well drained
Deer: Low — deer eat it; cage or plant where they cannot reach. Heavily browsed — competes with the butterfly larvae you planted it for.
Wildlife: Supports butterflies

Size, sun, water and foliage from the Village of the Hills guide; the rest resolved across sources.

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Northern Blackland PrairieSouthern Post Oak SavannaFloodplains and Low TerracesSan Antonio Prairie

326 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.