Passiflora Purple Passion- Passion Flower

The Passiflora 'Purple Passion' is a beautiful passionflower, albeit not very hardy, but vigorous and floriferous. This lovely climbing plant, with its tendrils reaching up to 7 metres (23 feet), blooms tirelessly throughout the growing season. Its flowers, of a beautiful size, are a deep purple, crowned with violet filaments, centred around four green stamens. Its oval fruits, orange in colour, are edible but lack great flavour. Its thick and shiny dark green foliage, deciduous to semi-evergreen depending on the climate, is an additional asset for concealing a wire fence or an unsightly barrier. It can be cultivated in most regions in a large pot for winter storage. It will thrive in the sun and in fertile, deep, and moisture-retaining soil in mild climates.

Mainly from South America's tropical zones, passionflowers belong to the large family of Passifloraceae, which includes 400 species and numerous spontaneous or horticultural hybrids.

'Purple Passion' is one of them, obtained in the Netherlands and introduced to the market in 2009. This voluble plant clings to its support using tendrils, reaching over 4 metres (13 feet) in height. It is characterised by its quadrangular stems adorned with leaves divided into five thick ovate lobes of a shiny dark green, more or less evergreen. Its flowering extends from spring to autumn in the form of large 6cm (2in) diameter flowers that constantly renew themselves on the plant. Its slightly fragrant flowers are mauve-purple petals, with a central crown streaked with violet, white, and mauve. The stamen cluster is green in colour. The unusual shape of the flower, quite brief, forms petals and sepals that curl, while the crown of filaments folds and straightens to avoid self-pollination. Once pollinated, the flowers give way to edible oval fruits, maturing to orange, measuring from 5 to 6 cm (2in) in length. The pulp is reddish, not very sweet, and not very aromatic.

This Hardy Passionflower, hardy up to -5 °C (23°F), grows in rich, moist but not too dry, well-drained soil in a sunny and sheltered position. At the end of flowering, pruning consists of reducing the branches to maintain a beautiful habit. With its height of 4 to 7m (13 to 23ft) and generous and exotic charm, the Purple Passion passionflower is used to dress walls, fences, wire fences, porches, and trellises. It is also highly appreciated in conservatories, where it will survive the cold winters without damage.