The Passion Fruit plant has a vining growth habit. There are many varieties of the Passion Fruit vine, all producing a delicious fruit with a tart and sour flavor. Passiflora incarnata is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
Passion Fruit Appearance
The Passion fruit vine grows to a length of between 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) per growing season. Due to the length of the plant, a trellis is required to provide support for plants grown in pots. Blooms appear during the summer in colors of purple, blue, pink, red, or white. The flowers have an exotic appearance featuring white petals with purple centers and prominent, yellow stamen.
Passion Fruit Plants Sunlight Requirements
Provide 4 hours or more hours of sunlight per day. Light from a South or West-facing window is ideal. Supplement low lighting with the use of an LED grow light if needed. The more sun you provide the plant the more fruit it will produce.
Watering Your Passion Fruit Vine
Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy. On average, water your passion fruit plant twice per week during the spring and summer. Reduce watering to once per month in the fall and winter. Water deeply until the moisture flows out the pot’s drainage holes. Drain the pot’s saucer of excess water to avoid prolonged contact between the plant’s roots and water, which causes root rot.
Soil And Fertilizer Requirements
Passion Fruit grows best in a well-draining potting soil amended with equal amounts of peat moss and sand for added drainage. Place a layer of fine gravel at the bottom of the plant’s pot before filling with soil to further protect the roots. The Passion Fruit vine is a light feeder. Feed the plant once per month, during the growing season, with a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer.
Temperature And Humidity Levels
Average Household temperatures for the Passion Fruit plant are adequate. Do not allow temperatures to rise above 100 Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) or dip below 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) at night in the winter. Provide your Passion Fruit plant with medium-high humidity levels. Supplement low humidity, such as in the winter months, by misting the plant regularly or using a pebble tray.
Harvesting Passion Fruit
Ripeness of the fruit is indicated by color. Fruit that begins green is ripe once it has turned orange. Fruit that starts as yellow is ripe once it has turned purple or a dark brown. On both varieties, the skin of ripe fruit will begin to wrinkle. Harvested fruit will keep well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage, scoop out the inner flesh of the fruit and place it in ice cube trays or small baggies to be placed in the freezer.
Propagating the Passion Fruit Vine
New Passion fruit plants grow best from cuttings. in the spring, choose a piece of Vine 4 to 5 inches l(10 to 12 cm) long and strip the bottom leaves to expose the nodes. Plant the vine cutting in a small pot filled with sterilized seed-starting soil. Place the pot in a warm spot with bright, indirect sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist. Passion Fruit roots easily and the cutting should develop an established root system in a few weeks.
Common Pests and Diseases
Scale, spider mites, and whiteflies are common pests that infest the Passion Fruit vine. Small infestations are managed by spraying the plant with water to remove the insects and eggs. Another option to remove the insects is by cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. For larger infestations, treatment with neem oil may be required.
Leaf Spot is a common disease resulting from overhead watering onto the plant’s foliage. Ensure water is poured directly onto the soil and not the plant. Remove affected leaves and treat the plant with a fungicide designed for houseplants. Bitter rot is a result of hot and humid conditions. The disease presents as dark, soft lesions on the fruit. Remove affected fruit and spray the plant with a copper-base spray designed for houseplants.
The Passion Fruit plant is prized for its juicy, tart flesh and seeds. The plant grows well indoors, requiring similar care to most house plants. Enjoy the experience of growing this tropical fruit yourself in your own home.
Passion fruit FAQ
Yes, passion fruit is considered toxic due to the presence of cyanide in the fruit seeds.
Passion Fruit will grow outdoors and USDA zones 9 to 11.
The health benefits of eating passion fruit are high levels of antioxidants and fiber, as well as its ability to boost the immune system.
Repot the vine once it becomes root bound and has outgrown its current pot. Because of the plant’s fast-growing nature, choose a new pot two to three times larger than its current pot.
Use Passion fruit in drinks, salads, desserts, and as additives in cereal or yogurt.
