Eden Keeper
Genesis 2:15
Passiflora L., Maypop or Passionflower
Passionflowers are New World species that were named due to being symbolic representations of the passion of Jesus Christ. The 3 stigmas are the nails, the 5 anthers are the wounds, the total of 10 sepals and petals are the loyal apostles, the frill of filaments is the crown of thorns, the lobed fer-de-lance shaped leaf is the spearhead, the tendrils are the whips, and the ovary is alternately the cross, hammer, or grail, while the purple/blue and white of many species represents heaven and purity. 
Many species have eatable fruit including maypop, Passiflora incarnata L., shown to the right, but they barely get ripe by the time of the first frost when they can be eaten since they are distasteful will still green. The fruit of a maypop has a few similarities with the fruit of pomegranates in that the seeds are surrounded by juice field arils, but those of the maypop are not packed as tightly and instead contains lots of air, therefore the fruits of maypop, especially the green ones will loudly pop if stepped on, which can be startling when not expected.
A lot of old timers hate maypops only because of how many they had to cut down while hoeing cotton, but now they are getting harder to find, especially in in fields, due to herbicides, although that doesn't seem to be the case with the equally hated morning glories, Ipomoea L. Notice in the picture of the maypop's purple flower that large bees are pollinators, and that a petal or sepal is missing. Maypops are excellent plants for butterfly gardens.
Another native species, the yellow passionflower, P. lutea L., has small yellow flowers and dark purple berries, which is just the opposite of the maypop where the flower are purple and the ripe fruit is yellow. There is no indication that the yellow passionflower fruit is eatable, but then again I have rarely seen enough pea sized fruits at one time where it would have even been possible to get a good taste, besides the juice leaves a stain and there are to many seeds comparable to blueberries, Vaccinium L., having blackberry, Rubus L., sized seed and staining worse than both.
Many species have eatable fruit including maypop, Passiflora incarnata L., shown to the right, but they barely get ripe by the time of the first frost when they can be eaten since they are distasteful will still green. The fruit of a maypop has a few similarities with the fruit of pomegranates in that the seeds are surrounded by juice field arils, but those of the maypop are not packed as tightly and instead contains lots of air, therefore the fruits of maypop, especially the green ones will loudly pop if stepped on, which can be startling when not expected.
A lot of old timers hate maypops only because of how many they had to cut down while hoeing cotton, but now they are getting harder to find, especially in in fields, due to herbicides, although that doesn't seem to be the case with the equally hated morning glories, Ipomoea L. Notice in the picture of the maypop's purple flower that large bees are pollinators, and that a petal or sepal is missing. Maypops are excellent plants for butterfly gardens.
Another native species, the yellow passionflower, P. lutea L., has small yellow flowers and dark purple berries, which is just the opposite of the maypop where the flower are purple and the ripe fruit is yellow. There is no indication that the yellow passionflower fruit is eatable, but then again I have rarely seen enough pea sized fruits at one time where it would have even been possible to get a good taste, besides the juice leaves a stain and there are to many seeds comparable to blueberries, Vaccinium L., having blackberry, Rubus L., sized seed and staining worse than both.
