I noticed a partially eaten maypop on the ground as I walked past a passion flower vine in Catch the Wind. Except for the fruit high up on the vine, the maypops have been steadily disappearing from this vine. I didn’t know at the time whether people had been picking the fruit or local animals were filling up on the green ovate shaped passion fruit. I now suspect it was the local fauna.
Curiously, this particular fruit, or maypop, was only bitten into but not eaten completely. Apparently, the creature that picked the fruit didn’t like it. Perhaps it wasn’t ripe enough, it was still green.
Who, or what, had been eating the fruit is anyone’s guess, raccoon, fox, opossum or some other night wandering critter here at the Museum. I saw no obvious sign of the suspect, no fur or tracks.
I’ll just have to catch them in the act next time.
I’m curious where I would find Maypop/Passion Flower seeds. They used to grow wild at my home in Alabama. I would love to plant some in my backyard here in NC.
If you’re in the neighborhood, look me up at the museum and I’ll see if there are any maypops still on the vine, they’re full of seeds.
Don’t wait too long though.