Blue Crown Passion Vine

Two Twining Together

| Flower Roberts

I love vines and I love purple. I did not plan this combination. Nature planted the morning glories. The Passion Vine is a hybrid called ‘Blue Crown.’ A hybrid is a mix of two different strains.

Passion Vine and purple morning glory.

If you are a follower, you know how I feel about vines. I have learned life lessons from them due to their faith in reaching up and out and their grabbing hold for support when needed. They always strive to go higher. They inspire me.

I had wanted to live my life like a strong and magestic tree, but my fate was to live like a vine. I have struggled to accept my interdependence. Thankfully the vines keep modeling a different path in ascent.

Two ‘Blue Crown’ Passion blooms

I have watched vines grow amazingly high and strong when in the right location.  I have also watched them crawling across the ground searching for support. Like the tomato vine that I had to step over to take these photos.

Wandering tomato vine.

I have had to guide some climbers that lost their way and grew up under structures to be trapped in darkness. Some even ended up enclosed in pots and under stoneshrooms and had to be rescued and rerouted.

Wrong Turns

Sound familiar?

Maybe you are a vine, too. I have some vine friends that I am entwined with. We support each other and end up the better for both of us. Win:win as twins!

Passion on the treehouse.

And about that purple? That color is regal. It does not have the boldness of red nor the dark hue of blue. It is a tween color. The red and blue join to make something beautiful together. 

Wild purple morning glory

Sometimes it takes two different lives to achieve perfection in combination. Do not try to be everything all by yourself.

Great combo!

I no longer wish to be a tall and sturdy tree. I do admire their strength and grandeur. I have accepted my vineness and my purpleness. Others have different fates, but mine is as a vine.

I would be remiss if I left out the down side of entwined vines. Sometimes they reach for the sky and there is no support.

Reaching for the sky.

Then they bend back on themselves or twine so tightly together that they both droop and die.

Dead end, turn back

Sometimes interdependent becomes co- dependent. If you are a vine, you must be selective about what you connect with. Not all partnerships are beneficial for both.

Choking: co-dependence

FLOWER

Taking a Walker to Visit my Passion Vine

| Flower Roberts

This plant is a combination of everything I love.

Blue Crown Passion Vine


Twining vine, purple, complex flowers and lovely memories of Italy.


Vines fascinate me in how they find ways to use other structures for support.
Purple is the ultimate regal color.
This flower is more than just a pretty face with stamen that move according to the weather.


This flower brings back memories of a small, walled-town in Tuscany, Volterra.

I hobbled to the end of the deck just to see these magnificent blooms. Neither leg is functional now. I must use this walker for support.

Extra legs


Hopefully the surgery will get me moving again.

FLOWER

Pistils Up on the Passion

| Flower Roberts

I know my garden like the back of my hand, so any little change is noticed.

On a misty, moisty morning last week, I was out with my camera and noticed the Passion flowers looked wrong.

They usually have the stamens and pistil parts in a whorl like a merry-go-round above the lovely corona.

On this morning however, the pistils were pulled up away from the stamens.

Were the pistils being prude for a particular reason?

I wish I could answer my question. I did do some research.

Some flowers are “male only” so that only the bisexual blooms set fruit to save plant resources.

All the blooms were pointing their pistils up, so I do not think this is the case here.

I checked today and all the pistil parts are down again, cozying up to the stamens and their pollen.

Ready for business with their styles spread wide.

Maybe some of you botany folks can shed light on this mystery.

Does the androgynophore  morph due to temperature, humidity, maturity…?

Flower

 

Smother Lessons from a Vine

| Flower Roberts

I am a helicopter mother for my plants also.

So I overprotect the rare ones whether they need it or not.

I have had this ‘Blue Crown’ hybrid Passion vine for four years.

IMG_1718

When I finally got multiple starts by cuttings, I decided to risk leaving one outside.

Surprise! It stayed green all winter. The ones inside went dormant.

The ousted vine has climbed all over the fence.

IMG_1704

The two potted clones have finally started to grow.

IMG_1725

The one left out is covered in blooms. The protected ones are just now getting leaves.

IMG_1706

Will I be bringing one in next winter?

Yes. Just in case it gets super cold.  I will keep one stock plant inside.

Sometimes growing things need to be left alone. That includes children.

IMG_1716

Flow

The Vine Sign

| Flower Roberts

Here is the view from my desk.

IMG_9348

This Passion vine has never had this many blooms at once.

IMG_9350

All appeared after I published my “Vine Lessons” post.

I actually looked for a Passion bloom for the post and none were open.

IMG_9355

Think what you will.

I consider it a divine affirmation(no pun intended…okay maybe intended)

of my self-acceptance as a grasper and a clinger.

Flow

(The Flower will be quiet for a bit. I will miss you. No worries.)