The Brief Performance of a Passion Flower
Most flowers quietly open and fade. A passion flower performs.
By Diane & Larry | Scroll Trellis Garden Journal
Act I: Opening Night
The first time I really stopped to watch a passion flower, I expected to admire it for a minute, take a few photos, and move on. Instead, I found myself coming back again and again throughout the day. Every time I looked, something had changed.
The first time I stopped to really look at a passion flower, I had no idea I was about to spend the rest of the day watching it. This was only the beginning.
A passion flower's spectacular display is remarkably brief, but while it's open, it's constantly transforming. In the morning, it unfolds into one of the most intricate blooms I've ever seen. It reminded me of the pop-up picture books I used to read as a kid. As the day went on, I found, the flower begins a carefully choreographed closing sequence that most of us never stop long enough to notice.
Act II: A Hidden View
One of the first things that caught my attention was the dramatic ring of purple-and-white filaments, the corona. It's impossible to miss. Beyond its beauty, the corona helps guide pollinators toward the flower's nectar.
But then I noticed something even more surprising.
At first, I thought I was looking at the back of the flower. The more closely I looked, the more I realized I was seeing something entirely different. The petals and sepals had bent sharply backward, a botanical term called reflexed, revealing a view beneath the corona that I'd never noticed before. The back of the flower is actually under the petals and sepals.
At first, I thought I was looking at the back of the flower. Then I realized the petals and sepals had bent so far backward that I was actually seeing their upper surfaces from beneath the corona. Once I noticed it, I couldn't unsee it
The Final Act
I came back a few hours later, and the flower was already changing.
The first thing I noticed was the delicate purple-and-white corona filaments beginning to curl inward. Then, almost as if someone had pressed rewind, the petals and sepals slowly swung back the way they came, gradually enclosing the flower once again.
What opened so dramatically in the morning now began to close with the same quiet precision, bringing the bloom's remarkable performance to an end by late evening.
Over the course of an afternoon and evening, the passion flower quietly reverses its morning performance. The corona filaments curl inward first, followed by the petals and sepals, which gradually close around the flower until it once again resembles a tightly wrapped bud.
I wasn't able to capture it all but here is a representation of the events leading to a fully closed bud.
Tomorrow's Performance
As one flower quietly finishes its performance, the vine is already preparing the next.
When I stepped back, I noticed something I hadn't paid much attention to before, a whole line of unopened buds waiting their turn. I'd always assumed they would bloom randomly, but now I'm curious.
Will they really open one after another, almost like performers waiting backstage? The difference in the size of the buds, suggest they might.
Over the next several days, I'm going to photograph these buds every morning to find out. If the pattern is as remarkable as I suspect, I'll share the results here in the Garden Journal.
A row of unopened passion flower buds waiting along the vine. Over the next several days, I'll be following each one to see whether they really bloom in sequence.
I'll leave you now with tomorrow's performers waiting patiently in the wings.
Watching this single flower changed the way I look at climbing plants. What first caught my attention was one spectacular bloom, but spending the day observing it revealed an entire sequence I had never noticed before.
In the end, not only did the flower change, my perspective did too.
At Scroll Trellis, we believe the more closely you observe climbing plants, the more amazing they become. Sometimes, all it takes is slowing down long enough to watch what happens next.
Continue Exploring
If you enjoyed following this passion flower through its performance, you might also enjoy these articles:
🌺 Curious about the trellis in these photos?
The passion flower in this article is growing on one of our narrow mesh trellises. Here's why we designed it around the way climbing plants actually grow.
→ Why Scroll Trellis Has No Scrolls (And Why That's a Good Thing)
📷 Coming Soon: Do Passion Flower Buds Really Bloom in Sequence?
I'm following this row of buds day by day to see if each one really takes its turn. Check back soon to see what's discovered and discover along with me!