Passionfruit Vine

Passionfruit

(Passiflora edulis)

Passionfruit is a vigorous vine that produces beautiful flowers in addition to the fruit we know and love in Australia. Native to southern Brazil, the Passionfruit is grown in many regions of the world, though only in the warmer climates, will it successfully produce fruit.

Due to their preference for tropical or semitropical climates, they should be grown in the warmer or sheltered parts of the yard and protected from frost, or they may not survive through winter. It’s usually for this reason, we commonly recommend growing them in pots, as it’s much easier to move them around each season.

They are self-fertile, so they don’t need another variety or plant for pollination, and fruit usually takes about 2 – 3 months to ripen. Especially when mature, they can often have a couple of crops; one in the summer and one in late fall or winter. Once the fruit is smooth, plump and relatively heavy for its size, it’s a good sign it’s ripe and ready to pick.

The vines can be quite vigorous, especially once established, and would cling to a trellis or lattice with a bit of encouragement. Because it’s such a strong grower, prepared to do some regular trimming and maintenance. Grafted passionfruit can sucker (or shoot) more aggressively, popping up unexpectedly around the yard and being somewhat tricky to control. Seed or cutting grown passionfruit can still do this, but it’s not typically as aggressive.