Practical
Plants

Passiflora caerulea

Passion Flower

an evergreen member of the Passiflora genus in the family Passifloraceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Foliage
evergreen
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
10 m
Spread
10 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[7][14][2]. The unripe fruits are cooked[5], whilst the ripe fruits are eaten raw or made into a refreshing drink[6]. The flavour is not very desirable[13]. The fruit is about 6cm long and 4cm wide, it is partly hollow and contains a small amount of pleasant acid-tasting pulp surrounding a large quantity of seeds[K]. The flowers can be made into a syrup.

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant can be used as a rootstock for some of the less hardy members of this genus, conferring on them an additional cold tolerance. Be careful that root suckers do not take over from the grafted plant[8].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Rootstock

Environment

Range
Central and Western S. America - Brazil.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[15]. 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[13].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season, otherwise it is not fussy[1][8]. Dislikes highly alkaline soils[9]. Hardy to about -15°c, if plants are cut down to the ground by frost they can regenerate from the base[8]. Very fast growing[3]. Roots of outdoor grown plants should be restricted to encourage fruiting[1]. Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants. The plant has a very long flowering period, from early summer to early autumn, though individual flowers only live for about 48 hours[11]. The flowers are open all night and start to close in the morning[12]. The flowers are delicately scented[11]. The cultivar 'Constance Elliot' is more fragrant[11]. If fruit is required, especially when the plant is grown 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[15][8]. The flowers open in sunny weather and do not open on dull cloudy days[10]. Fruit is only formed after long hot summers in Britain[4]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[9]. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[10]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2

  10. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩1↩2

  11. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

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  13. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩1↩2

  14. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

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  15. RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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