Acidic / Chalky / Alkaline / Clay / Heavy / Moist / Well Drained / Light / Sandy
Passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) is an exotic-looking perennial climber, bearing evergreen, deeply lobed, dark green glossy leaves, from which large white flowers with central filaments of purple, blue and white appear from July to September. These are followed by egg-shaped, orange-yellow fruit. The fruit is edible but not particularly tasty, so is best left for the birds.
Passiflora caerulea is vigorous and extremely fast growing, and will quickly cover a sunny wall or fence. In some situations it can become invasive, however most gardeners will find this a useful, attractive and bee-friendly plant for screening.
How to grow Passiflora caerulea
Grow Passiflora caerulea in moist but well-drained soil against a sheltered wall in full sun to partial shade. Passiflora caerulea is self-clinging but will need a support to climb up, such as a trellis or obelisk. To care for Passiflora caerulea, water regularly in dry weather, feed fortnightly in spring and summer. There's no specific need to prune Passiflora caerulea apart from to tidy wayward tendrils and keep growth in check. Do this in early spring, before growth starts up again. In northern regions you may need to offer winter protection.
