Passion fruit plant takes off and flourishes against the odds
On a fluke I picked up a passion fruit plant at my local farmers market. A few of my Master Gardener friends had been successful growing the plant and raved about the fruit. I, however, knew nothing about growing it and very little about how to use it.
I planted it in a spot on the side of our home near the driveway, where I had had a hard time getting anything to grow and take off.
Let me tell you, I hit passion-pay-dirt with this little 1 gallon plant! Not only has it taken off, it is trying to take over the side of my small built-in porch.
Passiflora, or passion flower, is a genus of more than 500 species of flowering plants. Most are vines that have prolific tendrils for climbing, but some grow as hearty shrubs or even trees. Ninetyfive percent of Passiflora edulis, or passion fruit (often known as granadillas), come from South America. The rest come from Asia, Australia and North America. They are edible vining varieties that are coveted for their fruit as well as their juice. Fruit can be purple, yellow or bright green and can range in size from as small as a pea to as large as a grapefruit.
They are sensitive to severe frost and prefer a moderately cool area when planted in warm climates. They like a relatively humid, moist area — but not too wet. If you decide to plant one, be sure to provide enough irrigation throughout the warmer months, but cutback on the water when the cooler weather hits.
Be sure to amend with organic compost, agriculture lime and bone meal. When I planted mine, I mixed in organic soil amendment, some compost and a little bit of slow-release organic fertilizer (as I do with most everything I plant).
Granadilla do best when trained on a trellis or arbor with the main leaders attached to the supporting structure. Allow fruiting laterals to hang down freely where fruit will be easily assessable. Pruning is best done in July or August before fruit has begun to set. Remove old, dead and injured parts, prevent vine overlap and make sure all parts of the plant have good air circulation and light.
Passion fruit are beautiful plants with dark green foliage and striking flowers that look like little fringy-star-bursts. Flowers can range from vibrant red and brilliant fuchsia to blue, pink, all shades of purple and even tricolored.
Although my plant had no tag, I believe it is the common purple granadilla because of its creamy white petals, deep purple crown and lime green ovary, anthers and stigma.
It has been in the ground for six to eight months, and I am so impressed with how easy it has been to grow. I am trying to train it into an espalier form. I just trimmed away about half of the plant and made four horizontal branches across the length of my porch (see photo).
I have already harvested a couple of fruits, and they are quite tasty.
Even though flowers last only for a day or two and plants survive only three to six years, I would highly recommend trying one. If you have the patience, you can try to grow it from seed, but if you’re like me, just pick up a transplant from your local nursery or farmers market and give it a grow!
You can sometimes find fresh passion fruit and juice in your local market. It is also becoming popular ingredient in drinks, cakes, icing, ice cream and yogurt.