Passiflora caerulea

Look what I found!

The gem that is the Passion Flower

Nestled amongst a mixed planting of apple, rhubarb, bottle brush and roses, climbing up a eucalyptus tree, I found a single gleaming, intricately beautiful jewel — a bloom of Passiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Passion Flower, a native of South America. The flower was named by 16th century Christian missionaries to South America who chose it as a symbol of their mission, a representation of the death or passion of Christ. The Passion Flowers actually grow wild in the southern parts of the United States where Native American Indians call them ‘Ocoee’.

Passiflora caerulea is a vigorous deciduous or semi-evergreen perennial climber, with twining tendrils and vibrant green lobed leaves. It bears large white flowers to 8cm with often blue and purple coronal filaments. The coronal filaments of mine are white. Interestingly, flowers are open up during the night and begin to close in the morning. I took my picture very early in the morning this August.

Passiflora caerulea grows well in moist but well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. The ovoid fruit is initially green, ripening to orange, containing translucent red globules of seeded pulp. The fruit needs a long hot summer to ripen in the UK. I’m told the fruits are edible but unremarkable in taste, but hey can be used in desserts of preserves. I haven’t tried them. By contrast there is a more tender South American species of Passion Flower named Passiflora edulis which produces the tasty passion fruit commonly found in supermarkets. It can be grown under glass in the UK. While most Passiflora are South American natives, a few species do originate in Asia, Australasia and the Polynesian Islands.

Passiflora caerulea normally blooms between July and September in the UK. I am sure my plant started blooming much earlier this year, as early as May. The flower in the picture above seems to be part of a new flush. There are a fair few unopened buds in the vine. I’ll take all the flowers I can get. They are exquisitely beautiful.