Passiflora Eia Popeia- Passion Flower

The Passiflora 'Eia Popeia' is a quite sensational hybrid variety, both decorative and tasty. It combines the hardiness and perennial vegetation of Passiflora incarnata, the medicinal passionflower, with a delicious fruiting. It is a delicious little climber whose pretty pale grey flowers crowned with long blue mauve filaments are slightly fragrant. They bloom throughout the summer, even into autumn, and give way to round fruits that turn yellow-orange when ripe. Their flavour is very sweet, with a hint of acidity, sweeter than store-bought fruits. Enjoy them with a spoon or in a fruit salad. The passionflower thrives in well-drained soil that is not too dry, requires warmth in summer to flower, and does not like overly moist soil in winter.

Primarily native to tropical areas of South America, passionflowers belong to the large family of Passifloraceae, which includes 400 species and numerous spontaneous or horticultural hybrids. The Passiflora incarnata is a wild species native to the southeastern United States and Mexico. The hybrid variety 'Eia Popeia' was created in a Swiss nursery.

This Passiflora 'Eia Popeia' has a perennial stump that produces new voluble stems every spring. The above-ground vegetation completely disappears in winter. The well-branched stems cling to their support with tendrils, reaching a height of 3 metres (10 feet) in one season. They are herbaceous stems that disappear at the first frost. They are adorned with glabrous leaves, 8-12 cm (3-5in) long and 7-11 cm (3-4in) wide, divided into three elliptical lanceolate lobes, thick, with dentate margins, a medium green colour on top, traversed by pale yellow veins. 

The flowering of the Passiflora 'Eia Popeia' extends from June to October in favourable climates. Each stem carries 5 to 10 flowers, 8 cm (3in) in diameter, relatively brief, and repeats on the plant. Its pleasantly fragrant flowers are formed of greyish cream-white tepals. The frizzled crown filaments are a soft blue mauve, striped with white and tinged with purple near the centre. Five tiger-striped stamens occupy the centre of the flower with yellow anthers, and three mauve-striped styles are united at the base. The unusual shape of the flower means that the petals and sepals curve, while the filaments' crown folds and straightens to avoid self-pollination. Once pollinated, the flowers give way to edible ovoid fruits, green-yellow when ripe, measuring 5 cm (2in) in length. The pulp, translucent, is sweet, flavourful, and fragrant. 

This Passion Flower has a hardy stump down to -12 °C after 2 or 3 years of cultivation. It is essential to protect the base from cold and humidity during the first two winters. It thrives in milder climates and well-protected gardens. This little climber can be used to dress up walls, fences, trellises, and porches, preferably in combination with an evergreen climber that ensures a permanent decoration in winter (Clematis cirrhosa, Hardenbergia violacea, Variegated Ivy). It can also be planted against an evergreen or deciduous hedge, adding a lot of originality to the summer landscape. It is also highly appreciated in verandas, where it will withstand icy winters without damage.