Q: I loved the maypops which grew wild where I grew up, and I want them for my yard. Garden centers have “Passion flower” vines, but the blooms are not nearly as full and beautiful as the wild purple ones I remember enjoying as a child. They also don’t produce the awesome fruit which were great for throwing at siblings, busting open by stomping, etc. How can I find the same variety that grew wild in my childhood? Anne Parsons Matthews, Rockwall, Texas
A: I’m occasionally asked why we use Latin names for plants. THIS is the reason we use Latin names for plants. There are over 400 species of Passiflora (passion vine), and you want one out of 400. Look for seed of Passiflora incarnata. This is the plant that makes the fragrant, flingable fruit. I don’t think the seed will be hard to find.
Q: In all my 76 years, I’ve never noticed cedar trees with blue-gray berries on them. I’ve seen trees covered in them this year. Did something special happen to make them all bloom? Kathy Trawick, email
A: Every few years, some species of trees produce a bumper crop of fruit or nuts. The term for these fruits and nuts is “mast,” so this is a mast year for redcedar. The “berries” you see are actually cones on female redcedar trees. Each cone produces a seed. Birds love the fleshy seed-coat but the inner seed is indigestible. What goes in must come out, usually along fencelines where the birds perch. Notice that I used the word “redcedar,” not “red cedar.” This is because this tree is not a cedar but a juniper, Juniperus virginiana. The cause for mast years in trees is still one of the mysteries of science.
Q: Ever heard of soaking a banana peel in water and using it to water your houseplants? The peels are said to have magnesium, calcium and other good things for plants. Scott Glazer, email
A: Recipes for making banana peel tea float around the internet in regular cycles. At first, it seems logical and lots of people do it and post about it. Then folks discover that banana peels don’t really have many plant nutrients in them to be soaked out. Miraculous growth of house plants fertilized with banana peel tea just doesn’t happen. People stop posting about it. Then several months later, someone posts a pretty picture of banana peels in jars, and the social media cycle starts again. To answer the question directly, banana peel tea does not have appreciable amounts of magnesium, potassium or calcium. The best use of banana peels is in the compost pile, where they become useful organic matter.
Email Walter at georgiagardener@yahoo.com. Listen to his occasional garden comments on “Green and Growing with Ashley Frasca” Saturday mornings on 95.5 WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook page at bit.ly/georgiagardener for his latest tips.
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