Passiflora lanuginosa (Woolly Passion Flower)

Passiflora lanuginosa (Woolly Passion Flower) is an unusual tropical vine admired for its striking violet flowers and distinctive spiny, green-haired buds. The blooms are rich purple with lighter filaments and a white center, appearing delicately fringed and fragrant, about 3 inches across. Each bud and young fruit is surrounded by a soft cage of fine green bristles that gives the plant a whimsical, almost otherworldly look. The red, egg-shaped fruits are about 1 inch long and decorative among the dense foliage. The fruit is ornamental only and not considered edible. The vine grows rapidly, clinging to supports with tendrils, and makes a spectacular ornamental addition to fences and pergolas.

Native to tropical South America, this species thrives in warm, humid conditions and performs best in full sun or partial shade with rich, well-drained soil. It flowers and fruits through the warm months and can be grown as a container specimen in cooler areas if protected from cold. Trees thrive in USDA Zones 10-11 and need protection from frost, with minimum tolerance down to about 35F.