Yellow Passion Flower
Passiflora lutea
native
Yellow Passion Flower is a native vine found in much of Virginia. It is the northernmost species in its genus, and it can tolerate cold temperatures for short periods. It is a host plant for butterflies such as Gulf Fritillaries and Julia Heliconians. The flowers are small and can be easily overlooked. The Yellow Passion Flower has an odd relationship with the Passionflower Bee. The plant is the only known pollen host for the bee, but because of the size and the foraging habits of the bee, it contributes very little to the pollination of the plant. The "passion" in the name refers to the passion of Jesus in Christian theology, because the structure of the plant, especially the numbers of the various flower parts, were thought to be symbolic of the final days of Jesus.
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