Passionflower: Plant Care & Growing Guide

Passionflowers (Passiflora spp.), also called passion flowers, are typically easy-to-grow vines that climb on fences, trellises, or arbors. The unusual-looking passionflower has long teardrop-shaped leaves and a wide petal base with five or 10 petals in a flat or reflexed circle that vary in colors from purple, pink, green, and more. These sweet and earthy-scented vines can grow up to 30 feet long. Most, but not all, passionflowers produce edible, slightly tart fruits. Depending on the type, passionflowers attract bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. Learn how to grow a healthy passionflower vine.

Passionflower Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing passionflowers.

• Grow them in full sun to partial shade; tropical passionflower prefers warmth and somewhat higher humidity.
• Plant passionflowers in average but well-drained soil.
• Choose a sheltered location (against a garden wall, for example) for winter protection from damaging winds or harsh weather.
• Water passionflowers 1 1/2 inches per week until established when the plant becomes more drought-tolerant.
• Fertilize passionflowers in early spring.

Light

Plant passionflowers in full sun for at least four to six hours or more (in cooler climates) to partial shade. Plants appreciate afternoon shade in hot climates. Wintering potted passionflowers need bright, indirect light and to be out of the way from drafts.

Planting and Soil

Use well-draining but rich and moist soil for passionflowers. Soil pH can be neutral to acidic. Add compost for nutrients and mulch around the plant's base to retain moisture and protect roots in cold zones.

Plant passionflower in the spring or fall near a sheltered area, like a wall with some support for the vines (such as a trellis, a pergola, or other structure or plant). Self-clinging tendrils hold the plant to the support.

Water

Water passionflowers deeply after planting. Beyond that, water passionflowers once or twice a week, giving them 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water weekly.

Temperature and Humidity

Prevent dieback by bringing potted passionflowers indoors or planting them in a protected area away from damaging, burning winds. They do best in areas with moderate to high humidity, ranging from 60 to 85 percent.

Fertilizer

Passionflower vines are heavy feeders and will benefit from a regular light application of balanced, general-purpose fertilizer with equal proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Fertilize the plant before new growth emerges in early spring, and then repeat every four to six weeks until early autumn. For the amount to use, follow product label instructions, and don't overfeed.

Types of Passionflowers

There are hundreds of varieties of passionflower differing in color and appearance, but not care. Some of the most popular cultivars for landscaping and gardening include:

• Passifloracaerulea 'Grandiflora':This plant blossoms large, 6-inch blue passionflowers.
• Passifloracoccinea: This passionflower blossoms in shades of red or red granadilla.
• Passifloraincarnata:This passionflower blooms in shades of lavender or purple.
• Passiflora alata 'Ruby Star': These pendulous flowers are 4 inches wide with crimson petals and violet and white striped filaments. They are also called fragrant granadilla or wing-stemmed passionflowers.
• Passiflora lutea: This passionflower yields greenish-yellow flowers.

Pruning Passionflower

Passionflowers are low maintenance during their growing season and do not need to be deadheaded. Pruning is done more to keep the size of the passionflower vine in check, remove deadwood, and encourage fuller growth.

Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth. These plants flower on new growth, so it's best to prune them before growth begins each spring to preserve the season's blooms. Pruning can also be done in the late summer if needed.

Propagating Passionflower

In addition to growing passionflower from seed, the plant can be propagated in the spring or fall by taking softwood stem cuttings or layering (which works like air layering, but it's done in the ground). Here's how to propagate passionflower using the following two methods.

Propagate With Softwood Cuttings

1. Cut a 4- to 6-inch stem below a node with a clean, sharp pair of pruners.
2. Strip off the leaves at the bottom of the cutting.
3. Dip about an inch of the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone.
4. Fill a small pot with a well-draining potting mix and place the cutting 1/2 to 1 inch into the soil.
5. Lightly water the soil and cover the pot with a plastic bag, closing it at the bottom, and making a couple of small slits at the top for the plant to breathe. Do not let the leaves touch the sides of the plastic bag.
6. Place the pot in a shady spot and keep it warm and moist. Within a few weeks, gently tug on the cutting to see if it's rooted. When rooted, transplant the cutting into its permanent location.
   

Propagate by Tip Layering

1. Find the tip of a vine in the area where you'd like to grow and expand your passionflower plant.
2. Put the tip of the vine into the ground. Or, push a part of the vine into the ground to propagate. To do that, find a few inches of vine past the tip and remove any leaves and bumps (leaves can cause bacterial problems in the soil).
3. Make a shallow dip in the soil where you want the vine to grow. Place the smooth part of the vine flat into the soil, then cover it with soil.
4. If the vine keeps popping up, weigh it down with a light rock or secure it with a garden anchor pin to keep it in direct contact with the soil.
5. Tug on the vine in the spring to see if it has rooted well. Keep it in place or transplant it to another area.
   

How to Grow Passionflower From Seed

Most varieties of passionflower can be purchased as seedlings. They can also be propagated from seed but will be slow to germinate. Harvest seeds when fruits ripen completely, turn deep orange, purple, or red, and look crinkled. Remember, hybrid seeds will not grow true to seed but will revert to the appearance of the parent species. Follow these steps:

1. Open the pods and remove, clean, and dry the seeds before storing them.
2. Scarify seeds when planting indoors by soaking them in warm water for one to two days. Discard any floating seeds.
3. Place the well-soaked seeds on the damp potting mix, pat them down, and keep them exposed to light to germinate. Seal the pot in a plastic bag to retain moisture. Use a heat mat, if possible to speed germination.
4. Keep the soil moist at all times. Germination occurs in 10 to 20 days. When sprouts appear, keep them out of direct sunlight until there are true leaves. Use grow lights during this stage.
5. Harden off the plant for 10 days to two weeks by slowly introducing it outdoors, extending the sunlight it receives each day.
6. Transplant once the plant is large enough with several sets of leaves.
7. If direct-sowing seeds outdoors, wait until the danger of frost has passed and temperatures reach at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Grow Passionflower Indoors

Passionflower grows best outdoors, but if you live in an area with freezing winters in a USDA zone lower than a mild 7, grow passionflower in a container and bring it indoors as the threat of a freeze approaches. Grow it in a south-facing room, sunroom, or greenhouse. When grown inside, it will not grow as vigorously nor produce fruits.

Potting and Repotting Passionflower

Passionflowers grow well in containers. Growing these plants in pots prevents them from spreading uncontrollably.

To successfully pot your passionflower, use potting soil rich in nutrients, and make sure the pot (of any material) has several large drainage holes at its base. Keep the soil moist, but don't allow the roots to sit in water. Plants grown in containers will need more regular feedings since they are watered more frequently and nutrients typically rinse out as the soil drains.

Overwintering

Passionflower plants love warm weather and may need winter protection in cooler regions.Outdoors in the fall, add mulch around the base of the plant to protect roots from the frost.

If you bring a container-bound passionflower plant indoors for winter, trim the stems to 1 or 2 feet high before moving it. It will probably go semi-dormant and look less than ideal, but it should perk up again in the spring.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Passionflower is usually pest-resistant, but warm, humid weather may contribute to some insect activity, including scale, spider mites, and whiteflies. Consider controlling infestations with homemade insecticidal soap.

Leaf spot is another potential issue generally caused by a fungal disease. To rid your plant of it, remove affected leaves to slow the spread and treat the plant with a fungicide if necessary. Root rot is also common in soils that do not drain well.

How to Get Passionflower to Bloom

Bloom Months

Passionflower typically blooms from midsummer to early fall, or from about July to September, and the flowers last about one day.

What Do Passionflowers Look and Smell Like?

Passionflowers have a unique appearance. Their intricate design includes petals topped by wavy fringes off the center, and the blooms can grow from 1 to 6 inches in diameter. These fragrant blossoms come in shades of purple or combinations of pink and white.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Give passionflowers as much sun as possible to encourage more blooms. If you can offer the plant eight hours of sun, it will thank you with prolific blooms. Avoid a high-nitrogen fertilizer if you want more flowering and less vegetation.

Common Problems With Passionflower

The passionflower is a relatively carefree plant to grow, but it may turn yellow for a variety of reasons. Potted passionflower plants may turn yellow or wilt if they are being underwatered or feel too cold.

Passionflower plants in the ground may have yellowing leaves because there's a problem with the soil's nutrients. You can have the soil tested so it can be properly amended. The soil may be too rich in boron, or the soil may lack other essential nutrients the plant needs to thrive.

From: thespruce