Flower profile

Yellow passionflower

Passiflora lutea

Yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea) is a vine in the Passifloraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Yellow passionflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

22states where USDA records it

8Bloomipedia state lists include it

19,084U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas

Quick look

Passiflora lutea, commonly known as yellow passionflower, is a flowering perennial vine in the family Passifloraceae, native to the central and eastern United States. The vine has three-lobed leaves and small, yellowish-green, fringed flowers that appear in the summer, followed by green fruit that turn almost black at maturity. It grows in moist to wet habitats.
From Wikipedia's article Passiflora lutea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 22 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 16 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 7,847 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #76 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,838 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #102 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,370 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #64 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,999 records)

Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Texas	Native	May–August	7,847
North Carolina	Native	June–September	1,838
Georgia	Native	June–August	1,370
South Carolina	Native	June–August	809
Alabama	Native	June–August	803
Arkansas	Native	June–August	766
Louisiana	Native	June–September	682
Mississippi	Native	June–September	459

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
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}
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}
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.
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.
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: DC (S1), KS (S2), PA (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 peoplePoisonous to people

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.” ^{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 yellow passionflower in 22 states plus Washington, D.C.

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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, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Angelina, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Cass, Dallas, Delta, Freestone, Galveston, Gregg, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marion, McLennan, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Parker, Robertson, Tarrant, Travis, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Wood.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Anson, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Carteret, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Cleveland, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Haywood, Hyde, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Macon, Madison, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Nash, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Robeson, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Wake, Warren, Wilkes, Wilson.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Banks, Ben Hill, Clarke, Dade, DeKalb, Elbert, Floyd, Gordon, Hall, Lowndes, Lumpkin, McIntosh, Morgan, Newton, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Spalding, Stephens, Walker, Walton.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Yellow passionflower a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 4.5 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 160
Annual precipitation range: 38 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Brown · Fall to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for PALU2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 719 counties across 22 states; the most are in Virginia (72), Missouri (66), Kentucky (62).

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

More Texas flowers

Purple passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

★ TN state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–September

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–May

Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella

★ OK state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PALU2.
iNaturalist, Passiflora lutea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Passiflora lutea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (9):
Show all 9 state lists
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Passiflora lutea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.