Question
QUESTION: Hi some time ago i was given a purple passion plant that looks like a purple butterfly i looked it up and its a purple passion foliage plant i dont know the actual scientific name but i know it is not a gynura aurantiaca, the plant i am looking for is native to peru

ANSWER: Let's get this straight, Norma: You are NOT looking for the Purple Passion Plant, which looks like this:

http://houseplants4less.com/p230/Purple-Passion-Plant/product_info.html

I remember growing one of these in college in my dorm room.  Velvety, iridescent, PURPLE!

Gynura aurantiaca is posted at:

http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week130.shtml

and called here the 'Purple Passion Vine'.  It has flowers I never had on mine.  But it is Purple Passion, on that we agree.  And we also agree that you are not interested in this one.  Because YOU, Norma, are interested in THIS:

http://mgonline.com/passionvine.html

which is known to botanists as 'Passiflora' and to teh general public as Passionflowers.  Which come in many colors and smell heavily.  I mean, heavenly.

Sorry, it's late.

I ordered mine from Logees in Danielson, Connecticut, a few years ago.  Now they are much more available.  Do you want to know how to care for this?  Or is it that you are looking for a replacement for the one that was given to you a long time ago?

Let me know and we'll figure that out.  Thanks for writing.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:  Thank you for youre help. I was wrong its not called purple passion its oxalis triangularis it looks like this http://www.athenee-horticulture.be/didactique/nomphoto/mo029.jpg

Answer
Oxalis Triangularis -- a tender houseplant known as 'Purple Shamrock'.  And yes, it does have purple leaves.

You can buy one of these here at Easy to Grow Bulbs, Heronswood or :

http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/browseproducts/Oxalis-Triangularis-(Purple-Shamrock).html

http://www.heronswood.com/prodinfo.asp?number=04700A

Logees sells another Oxalis that would look nice with this one, Oxalis hedysaroides 'Rubra' Fire Fern.  You can see it here (and buy one if you like it enough):

http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=D7004-4

Remember not to leave it outside in the Fall.  One quick frost and it's curtains for the Oxalis.  Thanks for writing -- and let me know if you need any other places to pick one of these up.  Thanks for writing.