Passion Flower ‘Lady Margaret’
Passiflora (pass-iff-FLOR-uh)


My old Passion Flower finally conked out on me this year. It didn’t bloom too much last year and I decided to get some new ones for a large container garden I put out each year. After reading that old Passionflowers should be discarded and seeing the lack of bloom, the decision was easy. The container garden is made up of 15 fairly large pots and they get filled with various annuals. I usually plant some sort of centerpiece in each pot, like a rose or Canna lily and this year I used a couple of Passion Flowers. I sometimes get a little whimsical with these pots; it’s a chance to be a little adventurous. This one is ‘Lady Margaret’ and it is a brilliant crimson red. It flowers profusely, and is not quite as rampant as some of the species. Of all the other Passionflowers I've used this year, ‘Belotti’ and ‘Lavender Lady’ have done well.

There are over 500 species of Passions. ‘Lady Margaret’ is a hybrid between P. coccinea and P. incarnata. I only found out the religious significance of the name recently. I always thought the name had more to do with the passion the flowers brought out in their admirers. I will try and winterover this beauty in the greenhouse. It may be a little warm in there for them. I don’t cut them all the way back, however, as this can cause too much vegetative growth. I have really been enjoying this wonderful new hybrid Passionflower.