Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Passion Fruit, Passion Flower

Description:

A spectacular vine for the garden; the large flowers are showy with cream petals and deep purple filaments; dark purple fruits are edible and attractive; wonderful for covering an arbor, trellis or lattice, the flowers are individually beautiful close up

Edible Qualities

Possum Purple Passionfruit is a woody vine that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces deep purple fruit which are typically harvested when mature. The fruits have a sweet taste and a juicy texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Juice-Making

Planting & Growing

Possum Purple Passionfruit will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. As a climbing vine, it should be planted next to a fence, trellis or other rigid structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated edibles garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.