Flower of the Week: Passionflower
Passionflower can definitely be considered on of the most surprising vines. This type of flower originated from tropical zones and has vibrant color, an amazing shape, and shows a vigorous growth, leaving you with a lasting impression of its beauty and grace.
Though there are various passionflowers, they all have exotic blossoms. Components of these blossoms include the corona filaments and the 10 petals behind the line-shaped arrays that are pointed outward. Stamens that are located high up make the overall appearance intricate and fun. Among these exotic blossoms, Bluecrown Passionflowers in some East Asian countries are also called clock flower, because their straight paracorollas look like hands on a clock. The three stamens happen to look like the hour, minute and second hands.
If you observe carefully, you will notice that the 10 petals are in two layers. There are awns on the ends of the petals for five of them while the other five do not have these awns. In fact, the five petals that have the awns at the end of them are sepals, while the other five are actual petals.
Almost everybody likes tasty Passion fruit, but not all fruits of passionflowers are passion fruits. In our market, the purple passion fruits are made from a mixed specie between what we know as Passiflora edulis and P. edulis f. flavicarpa. The fruit has the advantage of the sweet taste of Passiflora edulis while having the strength of the large size of P. edulis f. flavicarpa, or yellow passionfruit.
Other than purple passion fruits, many other types of fruits from passionflowers are tart and hard to eat. However, there are quite a few tasty types like banana passionfruit and giant granadilla. Banana passionfruits have a golden color, with a thin and long shape that look like bananas. Their flesh is tasty as well.
Giant granadillas that have relatively large fruits are not typically sweet and juicy. However, in Vietnam, giant granadillas that are unripe become a type of vegetable that is cooked and consumed in a whole piece.
A unique use of the passionflower for some is as an aid to quit smoking. People who are quitting smoking may collect aerial parts of the flower, wait till they are dry to use them as nicotine alternatives. They believe herbs are safer. While it is true that dried passionflower would not be addictive like cigarettes, smoking passionflower long term can cause symptoms like rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, etc. Smoking passionflower has many negative health risks and is not advised.
Planting a passionflower in your garden is very worthwhile. They are energetic, adaptable, attract many animals that pollenate, and can increase the livelihood of your garden. Passionflowers enjoy full sunlight or half shady environments. It is better to grow them in a place that has some shade, such as near your hedge.
In the winter, you can cover the roots of passionflower to ensure the plant is not harmed by frost. If the region you live in is relatively cold, you can plant them in a container. This way, you can move them indoors in the winter. In humid and hot places, passionflowers are susceptible to pests. Therefore, it is important to maintain air circulation.
Size: Varies; some species can grow up to 9 m (30 ft)
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5-12 (depending on species)
Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Rich and moist
Bloom time: Summer