jblaschke,

When I lived in Arizona I collected wild seed a few times but was never able to get them to germinate...

You might try the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. They have a spring plant sale each year with lots of unusual and native species. I don't recall ever seeing P. mexicana, but the last time I attended was over 10 years ago...

Mike

I just read your post on the Arizona native passiflora. I have heard that there was a passiflora native to southern Arizona.

Just over a year ago, I moved from Mesa AZ, part of the Phoenix Metro area.

I now live in southern Arizona, Cochise County, between Benson and Tombstone. I am interested also in obtaining this Passiflora, it ought to do well in my garden. I am assuming that the fruit is edible.

I am also looking for source to get Maypop (passiflora incarnata) seeds or plants.

Anyone with knowledge of where to obtain these two passiflora species, please contact me.

Ron

Ron, the only place I know that stocks p. Mexicana is Desert Survivors (http://www.desertsurvivors.org/nursery.asp). Back in March a Gardenweb member bought two for me and I promptly killed one by over-watering during unseasonably hot weather (my potting mix had too much peat in it as well for a xeric plant).

After some ups and downs, my survivor is doing fairly well, although I'm doubtful it will flower this year. If you go over to Desert Survivors, give me a shout. I'd definitely love to get some seeds, or maybe another plant with which to pollinate the one I have.

I'm fairly interested (read as: "would prolly give a body part") in mexicana as well. I'm in Oregon so can't just jet over to a plant sale in Az.. (sigh) Have been looking for seeds for quite a while- For such an interesting plant, seems there's not much commercial propigation interest.. Not even in Europe.

I wonder why? Look at how sunburst took off. Is it hard to grow? Does it (like sunburst) smell like a pig-sty when it blooms? Is it one of those 'blooms once every 5 years & only under *perfect* enviornmental conditions' types?
I don't know, but seems there's something keeping it from the mainstream.

Well, my Mexicana's been growing well despite my best efforts to kill it. After too many setbacks to count, it'd put out an additional new vine and had some large, healthy leaves. I'm thinking "All right! I've got the hang of it now. I might even be able to take some cuttings before winter."

Then I go out this morning and discover a big, fat Gulf Fritillary caterpillar absolutely going to town on it. With all the caerulea, incarnata and Incense around, he attacks my Mexicana!? It was too big to have grown up on the plant, so he migrated to it. Sheesh.

My plant survived, and it's not in as bad a shape as it's been in the past, but man, does this tick me off. I can only hope it's developing one heck of a root system as its upper part keeps getting pounded on.

The only place I've found the mexicana at a nursery is at Desert Survivors. They also have p. Arida, although they may have it labeled as p. foetida var. Arizonica or something. I went down to Tucson and bought both at Desert Survivors, it's a fun nursery to go to for native desert plants if you can go. However, they won't ship. I asked. I have three plants, one isn't doing so hot, but the other two are growing pretty well. If someone wants to trade rooted cuttings, let me know. I haven't had any flower yet, but the flowers are supposed to smell like mothballs. I think they're fairly root hardy, my green house froze last December, and it came back from the roots in spring.

*S* Well, sunburst smells like a pigsty.. Really, it does. Brought back 'kid memories' when the wind blew from the neighbor's juuuuust right.
I wonder about the genetic history of these 2 plants- They look very close.. Both smell like something not-so-nice..
Yes sunburst is a clone & doesn't depend on an insect for proliferation, but what little critter polinates things who smell like mothballs?

When my {{gwi:383680}} they attract regular flies, but also these liiiiittle tiny flies I've never seen before.
So hearing that mexicana smells like mothballs makes me wonder. Obviously something polinates it.. Wonder what it is.

Ya I found the Desert Survivors site.. Thought of throwing down the "I'm a cripple & I can't get there to buy your plants can you send me one" card, but.... Heck I try not to use the "blue spots" if I can just in case someone worse than me comes along.

Does suck tho that the *one place* we've found who sells this thing... Won't ship it.

I need a small quantity of PASSIFLORA MEXICANA seed or fruit...does anyone have any available? I am in Bakersfield, CA..

This is worth a look for those who are interested in the hard-to-find PASSIFLORA. Visit this link to see their currently available items... http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com

How does one contact you, Ron?