Varieties: Possum Purple, Quadrangularis. Season: July to October. Rampant woody vine that climbs with tendrils. Evergreen leaves, deeply 3 lobed, 3 to 8 deep green, shiny above, paler and dull beneath. Single fragrant flower 2 to 3 wide is borne at each node on the new growth. Showy, intensely colored flower produces the nearly round to ovoid fruit with a tough rind which is smooth and waxy. Pulp within is highly aromatic orange-colored with hard dark brown or black seeds. Flavor is appealing, musky, guava-like sub-acid to acid. Use mulch and plenty of organic matter in the soil to reduce nematode damage. Eaten fresh, used in juice processing, preserves and wines. There are more than 400 species of Passiflora, but only some provide the fruit used for jellies or desserts. Passion fruit can be started from seed as soon as the fruit is available. Plant seed in a light soil and provide high humidity and warmth (78 F). Germination should start in a month or less. When the seedling is 2 to 3 inches tall, put it in an individual pot. Keep it in a bright place with moderate temperatures, avoid extremes.
Passiflora foetida is a climbing and flowering perennial vine that has pink flowers and small edible fruits. These orange fruits, although much smaller, taste the same as those from passiflora edulis. The seeds are very small and black, embedded in juicy pulp; the stems and leaves are covered with yellow hair. The leaves, which are three-lobed, have an unpleasant odor when crushed. There are some medicinal applications of Passiflora foetida.
In Suriname's traditional medicine, a tea of the leaves is used as an expectorant and for nervous disorders.
Passiflora is one of the most impressive, fast growing and easiest tropical vines. If you need to cover a fence, this plant will do it in no time. The ability of these plants to cope with conditions far from their optimum is extraordinary. Passiflora has one of the most beautiful flowers. Hundreds of new hybrids present a wide range of color and flower shape. The complex flower symbolizes the Passion of Christ. Passiflora is a very popular indoor plant due to its ability to withstand a wide range of conditions, it will take both sun and shade, and some drought. Most passion flowers, whether young seedlings or mature adult plants, will benefit from supplementary lighting if indoors over the winter months. If light levels are low, heating the soil is more important than the air. Water sparingly from below and put a thin layer of sand over the soil. Don't fertilize and use free-draining soil to avoid root rot. New hybrids must be grown from seed of the parental cross, which will be more variable than species seed, possibly with the plant taking more characteristics of the female flower and the male foliage. The best seedlings of hybrids can be named and then cuttings taken to perpetuate them. If you grow a plant from hybrid seed it may flower within a few months.
Species and varieties:
Passiflora Blue Velvet
Passiflora cincinnata
Passiflora coccinea
Passiflora eichleriana
Passiflora elegans
Passiflora miniata
Passiflora mixta
Passiflora organensis
Passiflora piresii
Passiflora rubra
Passiflora serratifolia
Passiflora spinosa
Passiflora suberosa
Passiflora x belotii