Passiflora actinia
Passion Flower
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Passifloraceae
- Genus
- Passiflora
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 10 m
- Spread
- 10 m
- Fertility
- Bees
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Bees
Uses
Edible uses
Fruit - raw or cooked[5]. The fruit has a very fragrant pulp[5].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Material uses
This species can possibly be used as a rootstock for species such as P. alata and P. quadrangularis. It should confer greater hardiness and also have a dwarfing effect on the grafted plants[5].
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Climber
Environment
- Range
- S. America - Brazil.
- Habitat
- Not known
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow late winter or early spring in a warm greenhouse. If sown in January and grown on fast it can flower and fruit in its first year[7]. The seed germinates in 1 - 12 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. It you are intending to grow the plants outdoors, it is probably best to keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Mulch the roots well in late autumn to protect them from the cold. Cuttings of young shoots, 15cm with a heel, in spring[1]. Leaf bud cuttings in spring. Cuttings of fully mature wood in early summer. Takes 3 months. High percentage[6].
Cultivation
Plants are tolerant of temperatures that occasionally go down to about -5°c for short periods and so can possibly be grown outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. The top growth will be killed by the cold, but so long as the root is well mulched and is in a very well-drained soil, it should grow back in the spring[5]. The plant is very suitable for growing in pots in a conservatory or even in a south-facing window[5]. Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants. If fruit is required, specially when the plant is growing indoors, it is best to hand pollinate using pollen from a flower that has been open for 12 hours to pollinate a newly opened flower before midday[7][2]. The flowers open in sunny weather and do not open on dull cloudy days[4]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[3]. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[4]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
Vanderplank. J. Passion Flowers Cassell. London. 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34076-6
Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00