Guide to growing Passion Flower - Passiflora

Passiflora are vines hardy or half hardy perennial vines that may reach from 4.5 to 9M in height.

They carry beautiful flowers of white and purple that bloom from late summer to early autumn.

Some members of Passiflora also carry attractive egg shaped fruits in the autumn.

Some of the common names for members of the Passiflora genus include Passion Flower, Maypop and Granadilla.

How to grow Passion Flower

It is probably easiest to grow passion flower and other Passiflora members from cuttings; these can be took in spring or autumn. If you prefer to grow Passion flower from seeds then be aware that they can take up to a year to germinate (if at all). The seeds should be soaked for a day, sown into flats, and maintained at about 27 degrees Centigrade in the greenhouse.

Once ready transplant seedlings or cuttings into the garden in mid spring, well after the last chance of frost at about 60 to 90cm apart. As Passiflora are vines that reach a great height they will require a trellis to grow on. Passion flowers are able to grow in both sunny or partially shaded parts of the garden. It is very important that the soil that they grow in is deep and moist; it should be fairly rich.

Caring for Passion Flower - Passiflora

To look after passion flowers they should be regularly watered. After three years of growth you can start to prune back the Passiflora vines to make the plant more attractive. Dead Passiflora branches should be pruned and side shoots cut back to be a bout 15 cm long; this can be done either at the start of spring or in the autumn.