The ornate passionflower attracts human and insect attention, alike. Photo credit: Mike Clark
There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, and the bright green stigma and ovary, it seemed like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss.
A Gulf fritillary butterfly visits the passionvine in my yard. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Our vine is full of blooms right now, and every time I walk past the arbor I stop in admiration. I’m not the only one—the plant is covered up with Gulf fritillary butterflies, small orange and black near-mimics of monarchs. Like the monarch, they possess chemical defense mechanisms that make them taste bad to would-be predators. Fritillaries are so fond of passionvines as a nectar source that they are sometimes referred to as “passion butterflies.” Adult females frequently lay their eggs on the plant, as well.
Carpenter bees are big fans of the flower, digging for pollen throughout its bloom time. The leaves also attract pollinator insects; they have “extrafloral nectaries” that secrete a sugary substance at their bases, attracting bees and ants.
A carpenter bee visiting a passionflower. Photo credit: UF IFAS
Passionfruit are quite large for such a delicate vine—spherical, green, and about the size of a chicken egg. The plant is also known as a “maypop.” I’ve seen two explanations for this; the fruit’s skin is fairly thin, so it will respond with a satisfying “pop” if stepped on. Alternatively, the name could come from the idea that if the fruit drops into the soil and overwinters, a new vine will “pop” out of the ground the following May.
The passionfruit of the native Passiflora species. Photo credit: Mark Bailey, UF IFAS
The fruit is edible and has been prized for millennia as both a culinary and medicinal plant. Passion fruit juice has a strong, tropical flavor and contains fiber, vitamins A & C, and iron. It’s often used in jellies, ice cream, and other desserts. The pulp is edible raw, including the seeds. Most commercial production is in the equatorial regions of the world, particularly South America. Parts of Africa and Oceania produce it as well, along with more local sources in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii.
There are 500 varieties of Passiflora, with our native P. incarnata being one of the most cold-hardy of the varieties. The genus and common name “Passion” reference an early association of the flower with the crucifixion of Christ, with the flower parts imbued with symbolism and used by early Spanish missionaries to teach religious concepts to indigenous people in the Americas.
If you are planting a purple muscadine cultivar, ‘Noble’ is an ideal choice due to its productivity, disease resistance, and high-quality juice. Photo by Leonard, Adobe Stock.
Discover the Charm of Muscadines
Imagine walking through endless rows of lush grapevines, each brimming with clusters of plump, juicy muscadines. Scientifically known as Vitis rotundifolia, muscadine grapes are a species native to the southeastern US, with a range extending northward from Florida to Delaware and westward to east Texas and Oklahoma.
The FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research serves as a hub for studying and developing new cultivation techniques, aiming to enhance muscadine grape quality and resilience to various pests and diseases. Photo by Molly Jameson.
Unlike their traditional grape cousins, muscadines have a unique, robust flavor profile that is often described as rich, sweet, and pleasantly tart. For those who grew up enjoying muscadines, their taste often brings back fond memories of languid, late summer days. Here in the Panhandle, muscadines thrive in our long, hot summers and flourish in our sandy, well-drained soils.
Muscadine grapes are not only a delight for our taste buds, but they are also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, making them a powerhouse of nutrition. The high levels of the polyphenol resveratrol, a potent antioxidant, have been linked to numerous health benefits.
In the culinary world, muscadine grapes, with their thick skins and rich colors, spark creativity and exploration. Their unique flavor makes them perfect for everything from fresh fruit to preserves, pies, tarts, and juice. And naturally, muscadine grapes are ideal for winemaking, bringing a distinct twist to the wine market.
While muscadine grapes may not possess the storied history of their European counterparts, they have a rich history of their own in the southeastern US, where they are native and have been a significant part of the region’s agricultural and cultural landscape for centuries. Native American tribes in the southeast, including the Cherokee and Seminole, were the first humans to utilize muscadine grapes. They used the grapes for food and medicinal purposes, appreciating their nutritional value and distinct flavor. In the 1500s, early European settlers, including the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, documented the abundance of muscadines growing wild. Seeing their potential, settlers began cultivating muscadine grapes for winemaking and other purposes.
Muscadine grapes come in a variety of colors, including deep purple, black, bronze, and green, each offering its unique flavor profile and appeal. Photo by Tanya, Adobe Stock.
Unlike European grapes, muscadines are naturally more resistant to many common grape diseases, such as anthracnose and Pierce’s disease, and are less susceptible to pests due to their thick skins and natural antifungal compounds. However, they can still be affected by diseases such as angular leaf spot and other fungal rots, and pests such as grape vine borer, birds, raccoons, and deer. In contrast, European grapes are highly susceptible to a range of fungal and bacterial diseases, including powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot, and are more vulnerable to pests, such as grape berry moths. European grapes also require specific chilling hours which cannot be achieved in the southeast US, and they are more sensitive to both drought and excessive moisture, requiring careful irrigation management and more intensive fertilization.
Today, muscadine grapes are cultivated extensively in the southeast, catering to niche markets. In Florida, there are many muscadine cultivars that thrive, each known for its unique characteristics and adaptability. Cultivars such as the purple ‘Alachua’ and ‘Noble’ and the bronze ‘Carlos’ are popular choices among growers for their high yields and suitability for winemaking, producing wines noted for their fruity flavors and distinct aroma. Muscadines like the purple ‘Supreme’ and the bronze ‘Fry’ and ‘Summit’ are renowned for their sweet taste and are often enjoyed fresh or used in jams and desserts. The muscadine harvest season typically starts in early August and goes through early October, depending on the cultivar, so it pays to grow a variety to extend the season. For more information about muscadine grape cultivars, check out the UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publication The Muscadine Grape.
The wine produced at the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research in Tallahassee showcases the region’s rich muscadine flavors with a focus on innovation and quality. Photo by Molly Jameson.
With ongoing research and cultivation efforts, Florida is broadening its range of muscadine cultivars, ensuring a diverse and thriving grape industry. This research is actively enhancing muscadine varieties, including at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research located in Tallahassee.
Efforts at the Center focus on improving grape and small fruit cultivars, particularly those adapted to Florida’s unique climate. Their research includes enhancing disease resistance, boosting fruit quality, increasing yields, releasing new cultivars, and emphasizing sustainable agricultural practices.
Be sure to visit the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research during the annual Grape Harvest Festival. This year, the festival will be held Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring activities such as a vineyard run and walk-a-thon, insect demonstrations and computer simulations, grape varietals tasting, guided vineyard trailer rides, grape throwing and stomping competitions, a wine making workshop, grape picking, and more. Learn more and register to attend the festival at https://my.famu.edu/event/ghf24.
Although a beautiful flowering vine in the late summer and early fall, the non native Autumn clematis can take over an area and escape to natural areas. Learn how to distinguish this plant from the native clematis.
You’re in the right hands if you want to grow pumpkins in Florida. While growing pumpkins can be tricky in Florida’s hot and humid climate, you can successfully grow Sunshine State pumpkins with the proper planning and care. Pumpkin is a popular vegetable in the cucurbit family. It shares this family with members of summer and winter squash. The pumpkin varieties differ from those called squashes by having coarser, more intensely flavored flesh and rinds that are softer at maturity than the winter squashes but harder than the summer squashes. Pumpkins refers to certain varieties of C. pepo L., C. moschata Duch. ex Poir., C. mixta Pang., and C. maxima Duch. Local tradition and common usage may dictate that a particular variety is called a squash in one area of the country and a pumpkin in another.
Pumpkin Varieties Choosing the right pumpkin variety is a major decision when growing pumpkins in Florida. Not all pumpkin varieties are suited to Florida’s warm and humid climate. Seminole Pumpkin is a native pumpkin variety well-suited to the state’s warm and humid environment. Traditionally grown by the Calusa, Creek, and Miccosukee peoples, Seminole pumpkins remain one of the tastiest and most reliable for Florida gardens. Seminole pumpkins are known for their hardiness and resistance to disease and pests. The Big Max variety is known for producing giant pumpkins that can weigh up to 100 pounds or more. Big Max pumpkins do well in Florida’s warm climate but may require extra care to prevent pests and diseases. The Jack-o-Lantern variety is the classic Halloween pumpkin for carving and decorating. Look for types suited to warm climates, such as “Funny Face” and “Big Moon.” The Pie Pumpkin variety is best used for cooking. If you plan to use your pumpkins for cooking, look for pie pumpkin varieties such as “Small Sugar” and “Early July.” These pumpkins are smaller and sweeter than carving pumpkins and are ideal for making pies, bread, and other baked goods.
Planting
Most pumpkin varieties need around four months to reach maturity. Pumpkins should be seeded by early July to be ready for Halloween. Spring pumpkins planted in March or April can be stored for use in October and November (though long storage is difficult in Florida). Early August seeding provides a fall crop for late November. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil for your pumpkin patch. Pumpkins can be grown in small gardens or containers if you need more space. Plant your pumpkin seeds about 1 inch deep and should be placed 6 feet in either direction, except for the bush types. Plant 3-4 seeds per hill, then thin when the plants are 2-4 inches tall.
Seminole pumpkins planted in raised beds at UF/IFAS Extension Jefferson County Office
Photo: De’Anthony Price
Maintenance
Once your pumpkin seeds have sprouted, it’s time to start caring for your plants. Pumpkins need consistent moisture to grow, so be sure to water them regularly. Aim to give your plants about 1-2 inches of water per week. Water thoroughly after planting to help the seeds settle in. Climbing varieties like Seminole can be trellised for more space while using slings to support larger fruits. Use a balanced fertilizer to help your pumpkins grow strong and healthy. Apply the fertilizer according to the package instructions. Pumpkins do well with large amounts of compost. Place compost under each hill before seeding. Side dress with a handful every three weeks or as needed. Keep an eye out for pests such as squash bugs and cucumber beetles, which can damage your plants. If you notice any signs of pests or disease, treat your plants with a pesticide or fungicide as needed.
Intercropping of okra and pumpkin (Jack-o-Lantern) planted at UF/IFAS Extension Jefferson County Office
Photo: De’Anthony Price
Fruiting
Like other cucurbits, pumpkins need bees for pollination to produce fruit. Bees are the primary pollinators for pumpkins, so make sure to plant flowers and other plants that attract bees to your garden. Each plant holds male and female flowers, and knowing the difference between them is essential. Male flowers have a long, thin stem and no fruit behind the flower. Female flowers have a swollen, bulbous base that will eventually become pumpkins. It’s essential to have a good balance of male and female flowers to ensure a proper fruit set. If large-size fruits are desired, keep only two fruits on the vine. Once two fruits are the size of baseballs, remove all others as they form.
Harvest and Storage
Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the skin is hard, and the stem is dry and brown. Cut the stem about 2 inches above the pumpkin. After harvesting, allow your pumpkins to cure in a cool, dry place for 10-14 days. Curing helps the skin to harden and protect the pumpkin from pests and diseases. Once your pumpkins are cured, store them in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. Avoid storing them on concrete or damp surfaces, which can cause them to rot. Pumpkins keep for a few weeks, but long-term storage of 1–4 months is challenging in Florida. Store them in a dry (70% RH) and cool (50–60°F) place where possible.
We work very hard to maintain our gardens and then we look up and vines are growing 20′ into the trees. I get asked frequently “what is growing up my trees?” My first answer is “probably the same things growing on your fences.” These include Smilax species, commonly called catbrier or greenbrier, Vitis rotundifolia, referred to as wild muscadine grape, Parthenocissus quinquefolia or Virginia Creeper, and the one to be most careful with, Toxicodendron radicans, known by many as Poison Ivy.
Spring growth on the Smilax vine.
Smilax is a native vine that grows quickly in spring and all summer. There are 12 species in Florida and 9 species commonly found in the Panhandle. Besides being armed with thorns on their stems and some leaves, Smilax spreads by underground stems called rhizomes. If you choose to ignore it, some species can cover your trees and the stems become woody and hard to remove. This vine also produces fruit and seeds are dispersed by birds all while the underground rhizomes are spreading under your lawns and gardens.
Smilax can quickly cover a tree trunk.
Removal can be difficult and mowing the vines only encourages more growth. When trying to remove by hand, wear heavy leather gloves and some eye protection because of the thorns. Cut the stems about three feet above the ground which allows you some stem to pull on to bring it out of your tree. You also then have a handle to pull and try to remove some of the rhizome from underground. Digging rhizomes is time consuming, but gives you piece of mind that they won’t come back immediately. Our family actually harvests the new shoots in spring and we use them like asparagus.
Wild muscadine grape is also native and difficult to remove. Most of the vines in nature are male and only produce by runners along the ground and then grow upwards. The female vine can produce 4-10 grapes in a cluster and then reseeds itself.
Wild muscadine grape covering a fence.
Wild grape completely covers plants and eventually the plants underneath can die. There are no thorns to contend with when removing wild grape, it is just time consuming, especially if it has taken over your fence or natural areas.
Virginia Creeper is a native vine, still considered a nursery plant in some areas of the country, and has bright red fall color.
Virginia Creeper climbing a tree trunk.
It is most often confused with poison ivy because of having five leaflets per leaf whereas poison ivy only has three leaflets per leaf. It spreads by seeds, runs along the ground, and is the easiest of these four vines to remove from your property.
Poison Ivy is a native vine distinguished by its three leaflets with the individual leaflets getting up to 6″ long. This vine spreads by seeds and underground rhizomes. What makes removal of this vine difficult is the urushiol oils which causes the skin rashes and blistering.
Poison ivy covering a tree trunk.
Care must be taken to cover up all skin and I recommend wearing waterproof clothes versus cotton which can absorb the oils and transfer them to your skin. Under no circumstances should these vines be put on the burn pile, the oils can become airborne and then you can inhale them.
Here are a few helpful tips when battling these native vines. First have patience and be dedicated, this removal will not happen over night. It may take a year or two to rid your property of the original vines. Be diligent though, because birds will continually land in your trees and deposit more seeds to get a fresh start. Try to remove vines when they are young and just beginning to climb your trees and fences. If you know you don’t have the time or energy to remove the vines from all your trees, at least cut the vines close to the ground to reduce flowering and new seeds. Be careful with poison ivy because falling leaves still contain oils. Once the vines start to have a new flush of growth, spray a non-selective herbicide on new growth and you should have good results. Lastly, remember one person can make a difference in trying to reduce the number of nuisance vines in our communities.
Beach vitex in bloom is an attractive plant, which can make it more difficult to convince property owners of its harmful potential. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor, Florida Sea Grant
One of the biggest problems with beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is its beauty. It has rounded, deep green leaves (with a silvery gray cast) and a beautiful little lavender-purple bloom. Like most weedy invasive plants, the plant was imported and sold as an ornamental groundcover for many years. Homeowners and landscapers planted it in coastal areas where it is well adapted to the salt and heat, and no one realized it would be so problematic. Ever since, beach vitex took root and has continued growing, unchecked, throughout the coastal south.
In this photo, beach vitex has overrun all native dune vegetation to form a monoculture. Photo credit: Randy Westbrook, Invasive Plant Control, Inc. bugwood.org
North and South Carolina started having big issues first, when beach vitex was planted deliberately to stabilize sand dunes after hurricanes. Soon after, a coastal restoration specialist with the Army Corps of Engineers realized the mistake. The vines run along the ground in such thick mats that native vegetation like sea oats can be choked out. The wide-spreading fibrous roots and tall profile of sea oats hold sand in place better than the beach vitex’s low growth and taproot, which have long term consequences for maintaining dune stability. The thick tangle of vitex growth is yet another obstacle for hatchling sea turtles in a long list of man-made problems that has made nesting and reproduction difficult.
The invasive vine beach vitex has taken over a stretch of sand on Pensacola Beach. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor, Florida Sea Grant
Eradication of the noxious weed has proved difficult. When a plant gets the nickname, “beach kudzu,” you know something went seriously wrong. Beach vitex produces millions of seeds in late summer and early fall, which are dispersed by wind, birds, and float over water. Unless removed before going to seed, even a small patch of the vine can expand rapidly. While not as prevalent in Florida, over 80 sites have been identified in the western panhandle with beach vitex. Due to these problematic issues, the plant was recently added to the Florida Noxious Weed and Invasive Species List, making it illegal to sell, grow, move, or release the plant.
