Why the maypop vine earned its name by popping out of the ground

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The maypop is a resilient, fast-growing vine native to the southeastern United States. Famous for its intricate, purple-and-white blooms and edible, egg-shaped fruit, it earned its peculiar name from a unique survival trick: its roots remain dormant underground all winter, only to suddenly pop up in May, completely unharmed.

Passiflora incarnata is a hardy perennial vine known by many names, including wild apricot and true passionflower. It thrives in full sunlight, often colonizing disturbed areas, roadsides, and riverbanks. Its physical structure is defined by three-lobed leaves and complex flowers featuring a striking corona of fine appendages. These flowers are self-sterile and rely on insects like carpenter bees for pollination, with each blossom lasting only about one day.

The plant holds deep cultural significance, particularly for the Cherokee people in the Tennessee region, who called it ocoee. This name lives on in the Ocoee River and valley, as well as in the name of a local salamander. For thousands of years, the maypop served as both a staple food and a medicinal resource. Today, it is valued as a low-maintenance garden plant that can be trained onto fences, though its aggressive growth habit means it can sometimes be classified as an agricultural weed.

Beyond its ornamental appeal, the maypop produces edible, gelatinous fruit that tastes similar to an apricot. While historically used in folk medicine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn approval for its marketing due to a lack of evidence regarding safety and efficacy. However, some studies suggest that extracts may have a good safety profile for treating anxiety. The plant remains a subject of interest for its chemical composition, including various flavonoids and alkaloids, and its role as a larval host for several butterfly species, such as the Gulf fritillary.

Cultivation is relatively straightforward, as the vine is adaptable to various soil types and can be propagated by seed or root cuttings. Seeds require warmth to germinate effectively, while root cuttings provide a reliable way to expand a patch. Despite its popularity, the plant's actual lifespan remains undocumented, leaving the long-term vigor of root-propagated specimens a mystery compared to those grown from seed.

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