Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Passion Flower.
Passiflora
Pronounced pass-ih-FLOR-uh
Also known as Passionflower, Passionflowers
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Passion flowers are stunning, exotic climbers known for their intricate, complex blooms. They grow quickly and love to scramble up trellises or fences in warm climates. These vines bring a tropical feel to any garden space.
At a glance
- Care level
- Moderate
- Plant type
- Vine
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Indoor light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 3 to 9 meters
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Hardiness
- USDA 6 to 10
- Bloom time
- Mid summer to early autumn
Care
Provide a sturdy support structure for the vines to climb. Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy, and watch for yellowing leaves which often signal overwatering. Ensure they get plenty of bright light to encourage those beautiful blooms.
- Watering
- Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
- Feeding
- Use a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.
- Pruning
- Prune back long, unruly stems in late winter to maintain shape.
- Repotting
- Repot when the roots fill the container or become root bound.
- Soil
- Well draining, fertile loam
- Soil pH
- 6.1 to 7.5
- Temperature
- 5 to 35°C
- Humidity
- 60 to 90%
- Drought tolerance
- Moderate
- Lifespan
- Perennial, typically 5 to 10 years
- Fragrance
- Strong
- Deer and rabbits
- Moderate
Signs it needs repotting
- Roots growing out of the drainage holes.
- Water running straight through the pot without soaking in.
- The plant stops growing even during the active season.
Safety
- People
- Many species contain cyanogenic glycosides in their leaves and stems which can be harmful if ingested in large quantities.
- Pets
- The foliage and stems can be toxic to cats and dogs if ingested.
- Children
- The fruit can be a choking hazard for small children, and the vines are not suitable for climbing as they are brittle.
- Contact allergens
- The sap can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
- Airborne allergens
- Pollen is generally not considered a major airborne allergen.
- Edibility
- Only the fruit of specific species like Passiflora edulis is commonly consumed, as others may be unpalatable or contain cyanogenic glycosides.
How to identify it
- intricate, fringed corona filaments
- three lobed, alternate leaves
- tendrils for climbing support
- distinctive central reproductive structures
- Height
- 3 to 9m
- Spread
- 1 to 3m
- Leaves
- green, semi-evergreen
- Flowers
- white, purple, blue, 5 to 12cm
- Fruit
- orange, yellow, Late summer to autumn
Problems to watch for
- AphidsCommon
- Root RotCommon
- CaterpillarsUncommon
- Leaf SpotUncommon
- MealybugsUncommon
- Spider MitesUncommon
- WhiteflyUncommon
- ChlorosisRare
Check your passion flower from a photo
Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Growing it
- Propagation
- cuttings, seed, division
- When to plant
- Spring
- Overwintering
- In colder areas, cut the vine back to the ground after the first frost and apply a thick layer of mulch over the roots. If in a pot, move it to a sheltered, unheated space like a garage.
- In containers
- They grow well in large containers, but you will need at least a 5 gallon pot with a sturdy trellis for support.
Stem cuttings
- Take a 4 to 6 inch cutting from a healthy, non flowering stem.
- Remove the lower leaves and dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
- Place the cutting in a moist potting mix and keep it in bright, indirect light until roots form.
Plant passion flowers near a sturdy trellis or fence to provide the necessary support for their tendrils.
Grows well with
Similar species
- Clematis · Both are popular vining plants that require vertical support.
- Morning Glory · Both are fast growing vines that thrive in warm, sunny conditions.
Science
- Family
- Passifloraceae
- Genus
- Passiflora
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Native range
- Tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.
- Conservation
- Most species are not endangered, though some rare tropical varieties face habitat loss.
These vines use tendrils to climb rapidly toward sunlight in forest clearings and edges.
- Value to wildlife
- larval host plant, nectar source
- Pollinators
- bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Uses
- ornamental climber, fruit production, pollinator garden
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 2/9
- Soil reaction
- 6/9
- Light
- 7/9
- Temperature
- 7/9
- Moisture
- 6/9
- Nutrients
- 6/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Why is my passion flower not blooming?
- It may need more direct sunlight or excessive nitrogen fertilizer is promoting foliage over flowers.
- How do I prune it?
- Trim back long, unruly stems in early spring to encourage bushier growth.
Where the name comes from
The genus name Passiflora comes from the Latin passio meaning passion and flos meaning flower. It was named by Spanish explorers who saw the flower parts as symbols of the crucifixion.
Good to know
- Passion flowers are famous for their intricate, alien looking blooms.
- They are vigorous growers that can cover a fence in a single season.
- The name refers to the religious symbolism of the flower parts.
- They are the primary larval host for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.
Also in
Keep your passion flower growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.