Bloomipedia
Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Photo: Mark Richman via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Purple passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a vine in the Passifloraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–September across the U.S.

★ Official state wildflower of Tennessee (1973)Native in the lower 48

Purple passionflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 14 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–September.

23states where USDA records it
14Bloomipedia state lists include it
36,417U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

🏅
Tennessee's official state wildflower since 1973. Visit the Tennessee page → Tenn. Code § 4-1-306

Quick look

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens.

  • It belongs to the Passifloraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 7,876 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #75 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,144 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #60 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,802 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #9 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (11,504 records)
Bloom time in the 14 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeApril–September7,876
FloridaNativeApril–July4,144
TennesseeNativeJune–September3,802
North CarolinaNativeJune–September3,468
GeorgiaNativeMay–August2,958
VirginiaNativeJune–September2,195
AlabamaNativeMay–September1,777
ArkansasNativeJune–September1,715
South CarolinaNativeMay–August1,573
KentuckyNativeJuly–September1,128
OklahomaNativeJune–September1,111
LouisianaNativeMay–September937
MissouriNativeJuly–September896
MississippiNativeMay–August643

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 8 of our 14 states.
See each state
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OH (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: leaves, stems. Symptoms they list: “Severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and episodes of irregular heartbeat. Consumption of leaves in "herbal medicine" is not recommended.” They also note: “Ripened maypops can be eaten fresh off the vine or made into jelly.” NC State Extension

For petsCan be a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. NC State Extension

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records purple passionflower in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Brazos, Burleson, Denton, Jefferson, Madison, Matagorda, McLennan, Robertson, Waller.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Hardee, Hernando, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Blount, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Clay, Davidson, Dickson, Fayette, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henry, Houston, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Loudon, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Overton, Rhea, Roane, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Warren, White, Williamson, Wilson.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 628 counties across 21 states; the most are in North Carolina (88), Arkansas (60), Louisiana (60).

Other Passiflora on Bloomipedia (2): Yellow passionflower, Corkystem passionvine.

More Texas flowers

Yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea)

Yellow passionflower

Passiflora lutea

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: May–August
Pinkladies (Oenothera speciosa)

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–May
Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella)

Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella

★ OK state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–June

Sources