Pronounciation: Pas-si-FLOR-a in-car-NA-ta

Hardiness zones
Sunset 5-24
USDA 6-8 (freezes to ground each year), 9 (partially deciduous), 10-11 (evergreen)

Landscape Use: Sensory gardens, edible gardens, floral accent, trellis or arbor, or wall covering. Require a sturdy support upon which to grow.

Form & Character: Spreading, vigorous, tropical, dense, aggressive, sensual, informal.

Growth Habit: Mostly evergreen, semi-woody, broadleaf perennial vine growing to 30 feet or more. Needs support to climb.

Foliage/Texture: Stems glabrous or slightly pubescent above, striate, variable, woody, hollow, the cavity about one-half the diameter; bark very thin, greenish or purplish; wood very porous and bordered on the inner side by a thin layer of pith; fracture of the wood uneven, of the stem smooth, of the bark coarsely fibrous. Leaves rather thick, glabrous or often pubescent, when entire nearly orbicular in outline, base cordate, deeply 3 to 5 lobed, lobes are ovate, acute, finely serrate, petioles from 0.5 to 2 inches in length with two glands near the summit. Tendrils are very numerous and closely coiled; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers solitary, axillary, peduncles as long as the petioles, usually 3 bracted; calyx cup-shaped, 4 or 5 lobes; lobes are linear, imbricated, cuspidate, corona of the fresh flowers purplish; petals 4 or 5, yellow; ovary oblong, stalked; stamens monadelphus in a tube about the stalk of the ovary, separated above, anthers narrow, versatile. Fruit are an ovoid, many-seeded berry to 2 inches in length, externally green or yellow, shriveled and wrinkled; seeds flat, ovate, yellowish to brown arilled, fruit are called granadilla or water lemon.

Seasonal Color: Flowers bloom during the warm season from April to October.

Temperature: Thrives in warm weather, frost sensitive, freezes when temperature fall to 28^oF.

Light: Partial shade to full shade. In Phoenix, passion vines grow best on an east or north exposure.

Soil: Passion vines have a high nutrient requirement requiring periodic fertilization; use a fertilizer with a 2-1-3 ratio of N-P-K.

Watering: Requires regular irrigations in desert areas.

Pruning: Prune to control spread as needed.

Propagation: Easily roots by softwood cutting, root cuttings, stem air layering, seed (allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds).

Disease and pests: Caterpillars will damage foliage.

Additional comments: In 1620, Catholic priests in Peru attached religious symbolism to this plant. The name 'passion flower' is said to derive from a resemblance of the blue passion vine's flower to the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head. Others say that the parts of the plant symbolize features of Crucifixion, known as The Passion of Christ. In any event, the exquisite flowers look like they are from outer space. There are dozens of passion vine cultivars producing either edible or non-edible fruits. Passion vines attracts butterflies and have relatively weak root systems. Leaves contain a natural sedative and have been used as a remedy for nausea and insomnia.

The final analysis: Some people get all 'passionate' about passion vine thinking they are themselves passionate people. But alas, most are just suffering from a mild to bad case of narcissistic personality disorder.