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| How do you grow Passiflora incarnata? |
It is a fast growing perennial with edible fruits, and is surprisingly one of the hardiest of all passiflora species making it an ideal choice for gardens with a northern European climate. It features glossy, three-lobed, dark green leaves, and under favourable conditions will grow to an approximate height of 2-4 metres with a width of 1-2 metres.
The most noticeable feature of Passiflora incarnata are its highly ornamental, fragrant flowers which are approximately 7 cm wide and come into bloom from July to September. Each flower has five bluish-white petals with a white and purple corona at its centre. Radiating out from the corona is a structure of fine appendages which create a ring between the petals and stamens although these can extend beyond the tips of the petals.
Once pollinated, fleshy egg-shaped, yellowish fruits appear about the size of a hens egg. They appear green at first, but then becomes yellow-orange as it ripens.The edible part of the fruit are the pulpy, jelly-coated seeds within, not the skin.
Grow Passiflora incarnata in most moist, well-drained garden soils in full sun to part shade. They are surprisingly drought tolerant once mature. Apply a loose mulch to the roots in the spring.
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