If you are looking for something that is easy to grow, adds character to your garden and bears delicious fruit, the passion fruit vine must be a consideration.
Passionflower vines are climbers of the genus Passiflora. There are various tropical species but the passion fruit vine is the most popular and best known.
The large exotic blooms, the palatable fruit, the shiny green foliage and the fact that this wonderful vine responds quickly with vigorous growth in tropical areas explains its popularity in Central and North Queensland.
But did you why it was ever called the Passionflower? And the Passionflowers significance with Easter?
While modern culture defines passion as barely contained emotion, history shows that Catholic missionaries in 16th-century Brazil named the native fruit after the appearance of the flower from which it comes.
The passion flower’s individual features were found to be symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ, or as known in biblical history, the Passion of the Christ.
The flower has spikes protruding from the centre, symbolizing the crown of thorns. There are 10 petals, for the 10 faithful apostles. Three stigmata symbolize the three nails and five anthers represent the five wounds. Then the flower’s trailing tendrils were likened to whips.
These attractive vines are very easy to grow in Central Queensland with best results being achieved in well drained, rich friable loam with an occasional dressing of a complete plant food which is rich in potash.
We are fortunate in Central Queensland to be able to the beautiful flowering varieties of the Passionflower and the fruiting varieties of the Passion Fruit.
Last year I was lucky enough to visit a Passionflower enthusiast garden in the Whitsundays. This garden contained over thirty varieties Passionflowers, some that are very hardy to some very unique and difficult to grow varieties. The following are some of the beautiful flowering Passionflower that would grow in Central Queensland gardens.
Passiflora alata or the Fragrant Granadilla is an evergreen vine with very large oval shaped glossy green leaves. Large fragrant cerise to maroon flowers with blue markings will appear during the warm months of the year. The large gold to orange coloured fruit would be one of the sweetest flavoured of all the edible passionfruit.
Passiflora caerulea or Blue Passionflower is s a vigorous evergreen vine with large dark green 5 lobed leaves. Flowers have white petals with blue and white fringe corona filaments and a minty scent. It will bear bland tasting egg shaped orange skinned passionfruit in abundance from Autumn through to Spring.
Passiflora coccinea or Scarlet Passionflower has glossy, bright green, serrated and softly indented leaves. During mid-Winter and Spring deep scarlet flowers with centre crown of white/purple/red. It is a long-lived fast growing, evergreen vine which supports itself with tendrils. Passiflora coccinea is largely grown as an ornamental passionfruit though the fruits are edible.
Passiflora manicata or Red Passionflower is an evergreen fast growing vine with glossy, lush green 5 lobed leaves. Saucer-shaped, strawberry-red flowers with white at the base, blue and white coronas, and prominent yellow anthers followed by edible, green fruits. This hardy vine will tolerate light frosts.
Passiflora Nelly Kelly hybrid has disease resistance qualities that have made it one of the most popular Passion Fruit grown in Central Gardens. It is a prolific producer of purple skinned medium sized fruit. The oval-shaped fruit will have a green colouring before turning purple is juicy and tangy that will become sweeter if allowed to stay on the vines in Summer to ripen.
Passiflora Panama Gold is a fast-growing evergreen vine with glossy light green foliage. From Autumn to Spring large lightly scented white and purple flowers. Followed by large golden soft-skinned fruit with juicy aromatic pulp during Summer. Passiflora Panama Gold is highly resistant to pests and diseases
Passiflora quadrangularis or Giant Granadilla is an ornamental tropical vine with very large 25cm long dark green leaves. It has big colourful showy fragrant maroon, purple and white coloured flowers. The large and heavy edible fruit can be up to 40cm long and will turn yellow when it is fully ripe.
Passiflora racemosa or Cascading Passionflower is a beautiful evergreen vine with large oval shaped glossy green leaves that have a wavy edge. Throughout Summer and Autumn clusters of large hanging scarlet red flowers appear. After flowering it will bare small deep green oblong edible fruit.
