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Passifloraceae FAMILY

Passiflora × exoniensis

Passiflora × exoniensis

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber
GrowthFast

Passiflora × exoniensis succeeds in warm, essentially frost-free temperate zones, through the subtropics to moderate elevations in the tropics[1]. The top growth can tolerate temperatures down to about -3°c, though the roots are somewhat hardier and will often resprout if the top growth is killed[2]. Plants require a temperature no lower than around 16°c when they are flowering in order to ensure fruit set[3]. Requires a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil and a position in dappled shade where it can grow up towards the sun[1]. Prefers a circumneutral soil, disliking very acid or very alkaline conditions[1]. Passiflora species tend to flower and fruit more freely when grown in soils of only moderate fertility[3]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[4]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].. If fruit is required, especially when the plant is grown indoors, it is best to hand pollinate using pollen from a flower that has been open for 12 hours to pollinate a newly opened flower before midday[5, 3]. The flowers open in sunny weather and do not open on dull cloudy days[6].

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow late winter or early spring in a warm greenhouse. If sown in January and grown on fast it can flower and fruit in its first year[5]. The seed germinates in 1 - 12 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. It you are intending to grow the plants outdoors, it is probably best to keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Mulch the roots well in late autumn to protect them from the cold. This species is a hybrid and, as such, will not breed true from seed. Cuttings of young shoots, 15cm with a heel, in spring[7, 1]. The cuttings root best in a neutral to slightly acid compost, but 100% sharp sand also produces good results[1]. Leaf bud cuttings in spring. Cuttings of fully mature wood in early summer. Takes 3 months. High percentage[8]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Passiflora+%C3%97+exoniensis>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Passion Flowers — Vanderplank. J. · Cassell. London. · 1991 · ISBN 0-304-34076-6 ↩︎An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
  2. [2]Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books, London. · 1998 · ISBN 0-330-37376-5 ↩︎Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  5. [5]The Garden. Volume 112. — RHS. · Royal Horticultural Society · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
  6. [6]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  7. [7]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  8. [8]Growing Unusual Fruit. — Simmons. A. E. · David & Charles; Newton Abbot. · 1972 · ISBN 0-7153-5531-7 ↩︎A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.
  9. [9]Dicionário das Plantas Úteis do Basil e das Exóticas Cultivadas Vol. 5 — Corrêa M. Pio & Penna L. de Azeredo · Ministério da Agricultura; Rio de Janeiro · 1978 ↩︎A massive work in six volumes, first published in the 1920's and revised in the 1970's. Written in Portuguese.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎