The Purple Passion Fruit belongs to the Passionflower family (Passifloraceae) and originates in Brazil. Four members of this genus produce delicious fruits, apart from the Purple Passion Fruit that are the Banana Passion Fruit (Passiflora tarminiana), the Sweet Granadilla (Passiflora ligularis) and Giant Granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis). The Purple Passion Fruit is worldwide popular because of its delicate and aromatic fruits. It exists two sorts: Passiflora edulis f. edulis with purple fruits and Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa with larger, bright green fruits.

Purple Passion Fruits are perennial creepers. The single sprouts can reach a length of several metres, in old age slightly woody stem, grape vine-like leafage, very decorative white blossoms with a complex structure. After pollination the plants can produce also in Germany a handful fruits during the year.

Propagation and culture are not difficult. Give cleaned seeds separate circa two centimetres into the soil, keep them evenly moist, avoid waterlogging. Thereafter cultivate the plant all-year warm and light. Lay the sprouts closely to a growth support. An occasional cutting is well tolerated and conducive for the flower formation. In summer, a good place is in the garden in direct sun. Just as night temperatures decline longer under 10°C , the plant should be brought indoors, there grant it a slight dormancy at 12 – 15°C at a light place. First blossoms are produced after two to three years.

The plant produces mostly first in the second year the typical leaf shape. In the first year are produced unlobate leaves. Length growth as well as branching made a distinct boost in the second year too. My plant numerously blossomed in the second year, in autumn I was furthermore rewarded with two extremely aromatic fruits, which were first ripened in the winter quarters within the house. Whereas 2010 the blossom has completely failed. It seems as the Purple Passion Fruit would require longer phases with over 25°C for blossom induction.

2008

In this year I sowed Purple Passion Fruits for the first time. Seeds are quickly germed, at the end of the year they were circa 15 cm high.

2009

I cultivated the plants warm during winter. Staring from a height of circa 30 cm the plants began with production of the typical three-lobate leaves. The strongest plant branched out with circa 50 cm. In August it reached a height of circa 1,5 m and began to blossom. I pollinated several blossoms by hand. In the end two fruits came to full ripeness until November. Although these were after-ripened two months at a south window the fruits surprised with a fantastic flavour.

2010

Overwintering was light and warm trouble-free. In summer the plant still showed a good growth. Unfortunately summer was fairly cool, so that no blossoms were produced this year.

2011

Once more trouble-free overwintering. The plant shows a good growth yet.

You can purchase seeds on this site at Amazon.