This hardy tropical vine features gorgeous, summer-blooming flowers that give way to attractive orange fruit
When it comes to perennial vines , it ’s hard to top the beauty of puritanic love heyday ( Passiflora caerulea , Zones 7–11 ) . This South American native plant is well - suited for the estrus and humidity of the southeasterly United States . One of the intrepid passion vines , it will reliably overwinter in Zone 7 , or even Zone 6 when offer with extra wintertime protection . teach more about choose the right warmth flush vine for your garden here .
Blue passion flower prefers full sun and a structure to climb on
This dense , vigorous vine can easy grow 20 animal foot tall and 6 understructure broad . Its raw , coiling tendril , like those of pea plants , help it latch onto and climb up complex body part in lookup of the sun . The more sun it gets , the more blooms it produces . From early summer to early fall , the vine is laden with multitudes of wan , starburst - shape flowers overstep by vibrant indigo crowns and prominent , golden anthers . pop in cultivation , a number of colorful cultivars exist , include ‘ Waterloo Blue ’ .
The attractive orange fruit is edible but bland
The fruit of this vine is comestible when it mature to a beautiful orange colour , although if you ’re only growing it for the yield , you may be disappointed . Its sharp taste is less appetising than the widely uncommitted common Passion of Christ yield ( Passiflora edulis , Zones 10–12 ) . Plus , there ’s often a high seed - to - pulp ratio , which promise more effort than it ’s worth . All other parts of the plant , including the unripe yield , are reported to be toxic .
Be wary of this plant’s suckering roots, or grow it in a container
blueish passion flower will well prosper in most cheery , well - draining sites when given a stalwart musical accompaniment , but there are a few thing to consider before present it to your landscape . First , like other form ofPassiflora , blue heat blossom form a large theme system that can sucker many feet from its original planting site . If mundane mug removal sound like too much maintenance , consider growing it in a tumid pot instead . Be sure that the soil medium is well - draining and the container is no lowly than 10 Imperial gallon ( some 18 inches in diam and height ) . Unless you ’re in Zone 8 or above , you will need to move the container into an unheated service department or drop for winter , or insulate the pot to increase the works ’s chance of overwintering .
Blue passion flower is a butterfly host plant but can be defoliated by caterpillars
Additionally , blue passion efflorescence is a emcee flora for many specie of fritillary butterfly , most notably the gulf checkered lily . We rarely see this butterfly stroke in Virginia , but I ’ve listen many stories from Floridians about the caterpillars ’ voracious appetites . These spiky caterpillars chop-chop devour the leaf of even large plants , turning what was once a dim paries of showy , deep green foliage into a shattered good deal . Some gardeners will be thrilled by this , and others will be devastated , so if you ’re in the cryptic Southeast , it ’s a good idea to pass judgment your stance before engraft .
This vine is a vigorous grower that responds well to pruning
Whether it ’s make by louse wrong or a brace of pruners , dispirited passion prime can quickly regenerate by putting on a good deal of Modern ontogenesis in just one time of year . Established plants can safely be clip to one - half to one - third of their size without inflict too much focus , allowing you to control their height . It ’s best to do this in spring before the bud start to form ; otherwise , you might sacrifice efflorescence . Even with regular pruning , blue rage flower will never look as manicured as clematis ( Clematisspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) and some other vines , but its wild purport is part of its charm .
view giving this bold , attractive vine a try in your garden . For other vine with a similar look , try purple cacoethes bloom ( Passiflora incaranta , Zones 5–9 ) or xanthous passion flower ( Passiflora lutea , Zones 5–10 ) , both of which are aboriginal .
To shoot the breeze about this or other great plants for the Southeast , talk to a regional expert on theGardening Answers meeting place .
And for more Southeast regional reports , clickhere .
Cheyenne Wine is a author and lensman for Rare Roots Nursery in Mechanicsville , Virginia .
Photos , in order of visual aspect :
1 Franz van Duns , CC BY - SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
2 and 5 Cheyenne Wine
3 Wouter Hagens , CC BY - SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
4 Edward Rooks , CC BY - SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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Blue passion flower’s abundant summer blooms are a nectar favorite for pollinators, featuring light shades of blue, white, and purple.
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‘Waterloo Blue’ blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea ‘Waterloo Blue’, Zones 7–10) has more intense blue-and-purple coloration than the straight species.
While the fruit of this vine is edible and very ornamental, it’s often used in cooking instead of eaten raw, as the flavor can be underwhelming.
Like other passion flowers, blue passion flower is a host plant of the gulf fritillary butterfly, which ranges from the southern United States to South America.
The foliage of this plant grows densely and quickly, bouncing back from pruning and munching from hungry insects.
