Hey everyone, I missed you guys all winter. I am getting antsy about the upcoming BF and hummer season. I have a question about the passion vines. I have read different places that it is annual and that it is perennial. I have three I planted last year and am hoping they come back because I had the best time with my gulf frits. So to all you experts out there, will they come back. I have actually tried to keep them a little watered over the winter even though there was nothing there. Also the butterfly weed. It comes back too, right? Just a little later in the season. I have about four of those and had such good luck with the Monarchs and Queens last year I don't want to miss out. If they are not going to come back I need to start looking for some new plants of each now before people get crazy and buy everything. Any help is much appreciated.
Great to be back.
Leslie
Been gone awhile but am back and have questions
Don't know about the passion vines since I've never grown any but I have butterfly weed. If yours is the same as mine, asclepias tuberosa, then it will come back. It actually will slowly increase it's spread. I love the brilliant orange flowers (almost as much as the butterflies do!). Even if your passifloras don't come back, I think I've read on here that the reseed themselves.
Thanks Naturelover. I am thrilled to hear that the butterfly weed will actually spread. I love the flowers also, they are beautiful and to think they not only come back but spread is great news to me.
I am still checking every day on the passion vines but so far nothing. I will not give up for awhile though as it is still a bit early.
Thanks againf or your help.
Leslie
There's a lot of different Passifloras (passionflower vines). Some are cold-hardy and some are tropical and have to be kept in a pot and taken inside or in a greenhouse during winter. I have only cold-hardy vines planted in the ground. Passiflora caerulea (Blue Passionflower), Passiflora incarnata (Maypops), Passiflora lutea, Passiflora affinis and a variety of Passiflora foetida that is cold-hardy. If you know what kind you have, tell us or post pics of the plant and flowers. And did you have Asclepias tuberosa (I think it's cold-hardy) or another milkweed? The Tropical Milkweed or Mexican Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) might or might not survive winter depending on how cold it got.
Thanks for the info Linda. I don't have any pics but the butterfly weed is just the run of the mill yellow and orange butterfly weed. I always heard it comes up really late so remember where you planted it. Or am I thinking of something else? Anyways, I left about three inch stalks so that I would know where I planted them. I guess I will just watch and hope everything comes back. I know we really did not have that bad of a winter this year but it did freeze a couple of times.
Leslie
This conversation reminds me of what a DGer said on another thread I read. They planted perennials so they would reseed or come back every year. But if one happened not to come back, chances are they forgot they planted it in the first place. LOL!
Hi Leslie,
I haven't been around much lately either...... good to see you are back.
james t
Great to see you James. Hope your little stretch of butterfly heaven is coming back this year strong. I always enjoyed your threads.
Leslie
yes ...... I will have lots of Beautiful BF's around this year ...... will be the second year of the BF garden ...... the BF Weed is already coming up out of the ground as well as the Lantana, Esperanza, and Mexican Firebush ...... have already seen a PVS flying around the other day and have had Sulfurs all winter on the Dianthas.
Lucky you James T. Neither my Lantana or Esperanza are coming out yet. My agastaches are coming up though and I am thrilled for that except for the one I loved best last year, my Apricot Sprite. I have not seen hide nor hair of that one. But the rest are coming up so I am happy. I really wish the butterfly weed would start showing but I have heard they are slow to come up so I have to be patient. Since you are just one zone below me I guess my stuff should be showing up soon.
Leslie
So glad to see you posting again, Leslie! You're probably in bed at this late hour, but I did want to mention to you to pull the mulch back away from your dormant milkweed plants to allow the soil to warm up. That's what I've been doing this week and noticed one plant is breaking ground today.
Deborah