I started one from seed many years ago and it grew aggressively and never bloomed. I experimented and left it outside for it's second winter and it died. I now realize they are no where near zone 3 hardy. Then, last week I saw one at the store that had a couple of flower buds on it, so I bought it. I figure that's a hopeful sign that this time my plant might actually bloom. According to my tropicals book ("Hot Plants for Cool Climates"), it says to plant against a south facing wall, especially in northern zones as apparently they love heat and reflected heat. Average watering needs, though in your warm spot against the house you may have to water more often. As for fertilizing, I think they have average fertilizer needs but too much fertilizer and they produce loads of green leaves but no blossoms. The book also said that in general the plant is never loaded with blossoms, but only a few on the plant at one time are enough to generate interest since the blossoms are so unique. I put my new plant in a pot in almost full sun and made an obelisk out of bamboo stakes for it to climb on. I was going for the 'tropical' look. It's supposedly an aggressive grower which is fine by me, summer is only so long anyways. Last time i had a passionflower vine (when I started from seed many years ago), for the first winter I just trimmed back and kept in a cool basement windowsill. I think I read that some passion flowers are hardy to zone 5 so I thought I would try overwintering in zone 3, not successful and apparently, they aren't that hardy in zone 5 without protection there. Glen

Those darker nodes are actual sugar like glands, nectaries, that attract the ants to protect the plant from the likes of caterpillars. From what I've read, ants are usually not a problem of any sort, unless you stick your nose in a bloom and it is covered with them, like I did last week, LOL. The aphids that hit buds usually burrow inside the buds and you don't see them however I haven't personally experience that problem with passiflora only hibiscus. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1938594?uid=3739600&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103794922801

That leaf is beautiful, but somehow the waviness and texture doesn't look like a passion vine leaf to me. But if it is I want one ... LOL That's a good photo of the leaf. Can you show more of the vine?

It may not be such a problem if you can get to all sides of where it is growing to control any spread. This earlier discussion might give you a better idea: Maypop aggressiveness.... Crossvine and coral honeysuckle are two commonly mentioned native alternatives that don't sucker any or as much. Some clematis can also do very well and get dense enough to cover things.