Passiflora Caerulea

[Georgie]

My Passiflora, which I grew from seed in 2004, has surpassed itself this year.  I've never seen so many flowers (which the bumble bees love) and I've already got lots of fruits, many of which are the size of limes.   :o  Yet this has to be the coolest year we've had (so far) since I've had it.  Has anyone else had any such surprises?

G x

[Georgie]

[saddad]

Is it coming up all over the place yet?
;D

[manicscousers]

ours is doing well on the flowers but they keep dropping off after they die off so, no fruit yet, first year though  :-\

[froglets]

Between the Passiflora on one side and the hop on the other, I have to gear up every 3 - 4 weeks and get my machete out.  They are both phenomenal growers now they have got themselves established, and the honeysuckle and jasmine are finally getting their act together, we're going to have to strengthen the trellis soon.

Been a great year so far for all four.  too early for fruits on the passionflower for me, I get a few attempts by the end of August, but they usually drop off early.

Cheers

[Barnowl]

Not a great photo I'm afraid, but here's a banana passion fruit (Mollissima) with many thanks to Amazin.
[attachment=1]

I plan to harden it off over the next few weeks then risk it on the pergola up at the allotment.

I'll catch up with the rest of you one day   :)

[Georgie]

Ah, Froglets, I recognise that phenomena.  My Jasmine (which must be about 18 years old) goes the full length of the garden on one side. I prune it hard every year and it just goes from strength to strength.  I love it.   ;D

I agree with everyone about the Passiflora fruits though, I rarely get to keep many over winter which is a shame because they add a nice bit of colour.  I'm hoping this year will be different.

G x

[Georgie]

Took this photo of just a few of the fruits today. 

G x

[Barnowl]

seriously impressive!  :)

[grawrc]

I don't have a passionfruit but this seems to be an exceptional growing year here for just about everything.

[Amazin]

Passionfruit is by nature a forest climber so doesn't need much light to get going, in fact I reckon it's a bit like a clematis - best planted with its roots in cool shade to make it scramble up towards the light.

Barnowl - Yippee! Delighted to see a pic of baby Nana Pash! I'd maybe leave it till spring befre planting out unless you've got a warm(ish) sheltered spot in mind - mine was bunged under the hawthorn hedge while still in its MBB and the roots took off straight through it. I reckon in a couple of years the bucket 'll be halfway up the trunk! Bit disappointed that it's been slow to go this year, though very healthy. Last year I had flowers in early July and fruit 10 days later. 

Which reminds me, has anyone else started saying 'September's bound to be nice' yet?  ;)

[Barnowl]

There's another really baby nana pash in the GH so I'm planning to risk the first and coddle the second until the Spring  :)

[Amazin]

Nice one!

[Barnowl]

By the way Amazin, how did you get on with the Trinidad Perfume - I had trouble getting them to germinate and achieved just one plant, which isn't growing too well?

[allaboutliverpool]

Passion Fruit are one of the many things that grow in the UK that all the old books say need protection, such as tree ferns.

I have grown and eaten them for years admittedly only the last 10.

By the way,among all the records that I keep, is the weather.

The average April-Jul temperature in Liverpool has been

2005 - 13.2
2006 - 14.7
2007 - 14.8
2008 - 14.3

So it is not really cooler than the past!

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage

[Tyke]

I thought my passion flower was dead when all the leaves fell of it March/April. It started to grow back this June and has about 30 fruits on it already - climbing over every other plant and shrub. Is it normal for it to lose foliage at such an unusual time? it was flowering over winter and even produce a couple of (manky looking) fruits over Xmas...

[telboy]

Georgie,
Well done - great display. Although bland - they are edible.
As saddad posted - they do come again, and again & again etc...............
;)

[Amazin]

Agree on blandness of taste but the seeds have a great texture, crunchy without causing dental problems.

Barnowl, more or less the same result for me with the Trinidad Perfume. I had pretty decent germination, though slow, but lost most and ended up with just the one. Looks like it'll be earmarked for my 'overwintering experiment'.

[Georgie]

Hi Tyke.  I'm surprised your plant was flowering over winter.  As for the plant losing leaves in March/April I'm assuming these were old leaves in which case I don't think this is unusual as the plant is rarely evergreen here. 

Thanks Telboy.  I was aware that the fruits are edible but Bob Flowerdew put me off when he said he doesn't bother.  Mine is in a pot so I don't have a problem with it coming up everywhere but I have grown plants easily from seed to pass on to others. 

G x

[Tyke]

thanks for the info Georgie - i was reading about a passionflower virus in the east midlands around the time that it lost leaves. Thought it had gone for good. Can't stop it growing at the moment though...

We had flowers on it over Xmas and still had fruits on it in January. It is a very mature plant though - the trunk is about 5 inch thick - so maybe its a bit more resilient??