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Related
Species:
ragrant Granadilla (Passiflora alata), Red
Granadilla (P.coccinea), Maypop (P.incarnata), Yellow Granadilla
(P.Laurifolia), Sweet Granadilla (P.ligularis), Sweet Calabash
(P.maliformis), Banana Passion Fruit (P.mollissima), Giant Granadilla
(P.quadrangularis).
Adaptation:
The purple passion fruit is subtropical and
prefers a frost-free climate. However, there are cultivars that
can take temperatures into the upper 20's(°F) without serious damage.
The plant is widely grown in California as far north as San Jose,
the Monterey Bay Area and the San Franciso Bay Area. The vines may
lose some of their leaves in cool winters. The roots often resprout
even if the top is killed. The plant does not grow well in intense
summer heat. The yellow passion fruit is tropical or near-tropical
and is much more intolerant of frost. Both forms need protection
from the wind. Generally, annual rainfall should be at least 35 inches.
Passion fruit vines make good container specimens but require maintenance.
They perform well indoors.
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit: The passion fruit
is a vigorous, climbing vine that clings by tendrils to almost any
support. It can grow 15 to 20 ft. per year once established and
must have strong support. It is generally short-lived (5 to 7 years).
Foliage: The evergreen leaves of
passion fruit are alternate, deeply 3-lobed when mature and finely
toothed. They are 3 to 8 inches long, deep green and glossy above,
paler and dull beneath and, like the young stems and tendrils, tinged
with red or purple, specially in the yellow form.
Flowers: A single, fragrant flower,
2 to 3 inches wide, is born at each node on the new growth. The
bloom, clasped by 3 large, green, lifelike bracts, consists of 5 greenish-white
sepals, 5 white petals and a fringelike corona of straight, white-tipped
rays, rich purple at the base. It also has 5 stamens with large
anthers, the ovary and triple-branched style forming a prominent
central structure. Purple passion fruit is self-fruitful, but pollination
is best under humid conditions. The flowers of the yellow form are
perfect but self-sterile. Carpenter bees are the most efficient
pollinator, much more so than honey bees. Wind is ineffective because
of the heaviness and stickiness of the pollen. The flowers can also
be hand pollinated.
Fruit: The nearly round or ovoid
fruit, 1-1/2 to 3 inches wide, has a tough rind that is smooth and
waxy and ranging in hue from dark purple with faint, fine white
specks, to light yellow or pumpkin-color. Within is a cavity more
or less filled with an aromatic mass of double walled, membranous
sacs containing orange-colored, pulpy juice and as many as 250 small,
hard, dark brown or black, pitted seeds. The unique flavor is appealing,
musky, guava-like and sweet/tart to tart. The yellow form has generally
larger fruit than the purple, but the pulp of the purple is less
acid, richer in aroma and flavor, and has a higher proportion of
juice (35-38%). Numerous hybrids have been made between purple and
the yellow passion fruit, often yielding colors and other characteristic
intermediate between the two forms. The vine, especially the yellow
form, is fast-growing and will begin to bear in 1 to 3 years. Ripening
occurs 70 to 80 days after pollination.
CULTURE
Location: Plant passion fruit vines in full sun except
in very hot areas where partial shade is preferable. The vine can
be rather rampant, so it is important to plant it next to a chain
link fence or install a strong trellis before planting. The plants
can also be trained into an attractive arbor.
Soil: Passion fruit
vines grow on many soil types but light to heavy sandy loams with
a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 are the most suitable. Excellent drainage is
absolutely necessary. Also, the soil should be rich in organic matter
and low in salts. If the soil is too acid, lime must be applied.
Because the vines are shallow-rooted, they will benefit from a thick
layer of organic mulch.
Irrigation: Regular watering will keep a
vine flowering and fruiting almost continuously. Water requirement
is high when fruits are approaching maturity. If the soil is dry,
fruits may shrivel and fall prematurely.
Fertilization: Passion
fruit vines are vigorous growers and require regular fertilizing.
A good choice is 10-5-20 NPK applied at the rate of 3pounds per
plant 4times a year. Too much nitrogen results in vigorous foliage
growth at the expense of flowering. Passion fruit vines should always
be watched for deficiencies, particularly in potassium and calcium,
and of less importance, magnesium. Plants that have been damaged
by frost should receive a generous fertilizing after the weather
has warmed
Pruning: Pruning is necessary to keep the vines within
bounds, to make harvest easier and to keep the plants productive
by maintaining vigorous growth. In warm winter climates prune immediately
after harvest. In areas with cool winters prune in early spring.
As a a general rule remove all weak growth and cut back vigorous
growth by at least one third. In very hot climates allow a thick
canopy of foliage to grow around the fruit to prevent sunburn. Frost
Protection: Because of their mass, passion fruit vines are difficult
to cover when freezes threaten, but the layers of leaves help protect
the inner branches from frost damage. The plant will also usually
come back even when frozen to the ground. The best strategy is to
grow the vines against a wall or deck or in a patio. Any kind of
overhead protection provides additional benefits.
Propagation: Passion fruit vines
are usually grown from seeds. With the yellow form seedling variation
provides cross-pollination and helps overcome the problem of self-sterility.
Seed planted soon after removal from the fruit will germinate in
10 to 20 days. Cleaned and stored seeds have a lower and slower
rate of germination. Seeds should be planted 1/2 to 1 inch deep
in beds, and seedlings may be transplanted when 10inches high.
If taller (up to 3 feet), the tops should be cut back and the plants
heavily watered. Plants can also be propagated by layers or cuttings
of matured wood with 3 to 4 nodes. Rooting may be hastened by hormone
treatment. Cuttings should be well rooted and ready for setting
out in 90days. Grafting is an important means of perpetuating hybrids
and reducing nematode damage and diseases by utilizing the resistant
yellow passion fruit rootstock. Scions of healthy young plants are
grafted to seedlings, making sure the diameter of the scion matches
that of the rootstock. Either a cleft graft, whip graft or side-wedge
graft may be made.
Pests and Diseases: In tropical
areas passion fruit vines are attacked by a host of pests and diseases.
In these areas the purple passion fruit is particularly susceptible
to nematodes, while the yellow passion fruit is more nematode resistant.
In California the problems are much less severe, although the plants
can be afflicted with nematodes and viruses as well as Fusarium
and other diseases that thrive in cool soils. Nematodes are partially
responsible for the short life of many passion fruit vines. Snails
can also be a serious problem in California, often completely stripping
a vine of leaves and bark, killing young plants or predisposing
them to disease.
Harvest: The fruit will quickly turn from green
to deep purple (or yellow) when ripe and then fall to the ground
within a few days. They can either be picked when they change color
or gathered from the ground each day. To store passion fruit, wash
and dry them gently and place them in bags. They should last 2 to
3 weeks at 50°F. The fruit is sweetest when slightly shriveled.
Both the fruit and the juice freeze well. The flavor of passion
fruit blends well with citrus and many other fruit flavors, and
is quickly appreciated by many people as they become familiar with
it.
CULTIVARS
Purple form
Black Knight Developed in Massacusetts
for pot culture by Patrick Worley. Fragrant, dark purple-black fruit,
the size and shape of large egg. Flavor excellent. Vigorous, compact
vine, self-fertile, very fruitful. Handsome glossy foliage. Excellent
for containers.
Edgehill Originated in Vista, Calif.
Similar to Black Knight, but more vigorous, larger growing and with
larger purple fruit. One of the best outdoor cultivars for Southern
California.
Frederick Originated in Lincoln
Acres, Calif. by Patrick Worley. Kahuna X Brazilian Golden. Large,
nearly oval fruit, greenish-purple with reddish cast. Slightly tart
flavor. Good for eating out of hand, excellent for juicing. Extremely
vigorous, self-fruitful vine. Very productive, more compact than
P. edulis flavicarpa.
Kahuna Very large, medium purple
fruit. Sweet, subacid flavor. Good for juicing. Vigorous, productive
self-fertile vine. Produces over a long season. Large, attractive
foliage.
Paul Ecke Originated in Encinitas,
Calif. Medium-sized purple fruit of very good quality. Suitable
for juicing and eating out of hand. Compact, very productive vine.
Purple Giant Very large fruit,
dark purple when mature.
Red Rover Originated in Lincoln
Acres, Calif. by Patrick Worley. Kahuna X Brazilian Golden. Medium
to large, roundish fruit. Rind an attractive clear red color. Sweet,
notably rich flavor with tart overtones,. Good for eating out of
hand or juicing. Vine very vigorous, compact and self-fertile.
Yellow form
Brazilian Golden Large, golden-yellow
fruits, larger than standard forms. Flavor somewhat tart. Extremely
vigorous vine, requiring cross-pollination. Extra large, fragrant
flowers, white with a dark center, blooming during mid-summer. Produces
one large crop beginning in late August or early September.
Golden Giant A large yellow-fruited
cultivar that originated in Australia. |
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AVAILABLE FROM:
Alan’s Tropical Fruit Trees
Largo, FL
Atkins Nursery, Inc.
Fallbrook, CA
California Tropical Fruit Tree Nursery
Vista, CA
Exotica Nursery Inc.
Vista, CA
Green Mart
Orange, CA
Jene’s Tropicals
St Petersburg, FL
Laguna Hills Nursery
El Toro, CA
Louisiana Nursery
Opelousas, LA
Northwoods Wholesale Nursery
Mollala, OR
One Green World
Molalla OR
Ong Nursery
San Diego, CA
Oregon Exotics
Grants Pass, OR
Pacific Tree Farms
Chula Vista, CA
Papaya Tree Nursery
Granada Hills, CA
Ben Poirier
Fallbrook, CA
Raintree Nursery
Morton, WA
Tropical Oasis Farms
Cucamonga, CA
Pacific Tropical Gardens
Keau’au, Hawaii
Montoso Gardens
Maricao, Puerto Rico
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