PASSIFLORA EDULIS

I don’t know about you, but I’m not terribly fond of passion fruit, finding the taste sickly sweet and a bit strange. However, the juice is apparently a very good health tonic, with claims of helping sufferers of asthma, reducing cancer cell growth and regulating high blood pressure, among other still ongoing claims which studies will one day confirm or deny.

It is known as an antioxidant.

However, they are well worth growing in the garden because they are the most beautiful plants, with gorgeous flowers.

 http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-passionfruit.html

CLIMBERS

They are climbers with three-fingered leaves and so attractive you’d want to grow them in your conservatory if you live in an area of severe frost. They can take mild frost, though the leaves (and perhaps the stem) will be killed back to the ground; however it should shoot again from the roots when the frost is past.

SEEDS

Take the seeds from a shop bought passion fruit, clean and dry them, and plant to their depth in moist compost. Else just throw a few seeds into some moist compost inside a sealed plastic bag. Leave in a warm and light place, but out of direct sunlight, and you should be rewarded with some green showing within a few weeks.

SEEDLINGS

Carefully transplant the seedlings into individual pots and keep on a sunny windowsill or sunny terrace in a frost free area, as move on up pot sizes as they grow.

GROWING ON

The first true leaves through are almost heart shaped, and it is not until they have produced maybe 10 sets of leaves that they first show finger-shaped leaves. At this stage it is worth offering the plants some support in their pots, in the form of a stick, as they will be throwing out tendrils looking for something to hold on to as they begin their climb. They can reach 20 metres in the right environment.