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Passiflora laurifolia - L.

Common Name Yellow Granadilla
Family Passifloraceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards The leaves are said to be poisonous[418 ].
Habitats Climbing into trees and shrubs in tropical rainforests[262 ]. Thickets and forest borders[418 ].
Range S. America - eastern Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Guyanas to the Caribbean.
Edibility Rating    (4 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Passiflora laurifolia Yellow Granadilla


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Passiflora laurifolia Yellow Granadilla
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Summary

Native to tropical Americas, Passiflora laurifolia or commonly known as Yellow Granadilla is a perennial, climbing vine that grows in lowland areas in the tropics. Its stem reaches up to 15m long. The leaves are round and rough, flowers are fragrant and large, and fruits are oblong and yellow or orange when ripe. The plant is generally a vermifuge while poultice of the leaves is used for dressing syphilitic ulcers. The fruits can be eaten raw or made into a drink. It has high content of vitamin C. The leaves, however, are poisonous. The plant can be grown from seeds and propagated by cuttings. It is not frost-tolerant. Other common names include water lemon, Jamaican honeysuckle, golden bell apple, pommeliane, and orange lilikoi.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of climber
Passiflora laurifolia is an evergreen Climber growing to 15 m (49ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Granadilla laurifolia (L.) Medik. Passiflora acuminata DC. Passiflora oblongifolia Pulle Passiflora

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses: Drink  Sweetener

Fruit - raw or made into a refreshing drink[301 , 317 ]. The orange-yellow fruits have a fragrant, juicy, agreeably subacid pulp[301 ]. The fruit is sometimes eaten by making a hole in one end and sucking out the pulp and seeds[301 ]. The fruit is rich in vitamin C[317 ]. The ovoid fruit is about 8cm x 4cm[200 ].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anthelmintic  Bitter  Narcotic  Poultice  Vermifuge  Vitamin C

The content of the glycoside passiflorin can produce weak narcotic effects[317 ]. (I believe this is found mainly in the leaves or roots[K ].) A cold, salted decoction of the root is said to be an effective vermifuge[348 ]. An infusion of the stems and leaves is used as a children's vermifuge[348 ]. The leaves are vermifuge[348 ]. The powdered leaves are bitter and considered to be an anthelmintic[348 ]. A poultice of the leaves is used for dressing syphilitic ulcers[348 ]. The green fruit contains acetone and a cyanogenic heteroside which disappears upon maturity of the fruit[348 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Rootstock

Other Uses Sometimes used as a rootstock for P. edulis because it is less susceptible to soil borne disease[335 ].

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A plant of the hot, wet, lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres[335 , 418 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 36°c[418 ]. The plant is not tolerant of frost[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 4,000mm[418 ]. Requires a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil and a position in dappled shade[262 ]. Passiflora species tend to flower and fruit more freely when grown in soils of only moderate fertility[200 ]. Prefers a circumneutral soil, disliking very acid or very alkaline conditions[262 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[418 ]. Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[202 ]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe along with the pulp which will help break down the seed coat and speed up germination[262 ]. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours in warm water and germination time can be reduced if the seed is then mixed with the juice of a fresh passion fruit (of any species)[262 ]. Even so, it can take 12 months for stored seed to germinate[262 ]. Place the seed tray in a shady position, maintaining a temperature around 19 - 24°c[262 ]. Prick the seedlings out into individual containers as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when large enough[262 ]. Cuttings of young shoots, taken at the nodes. The cuttings root best in a neutral to slightly acid compost, but 100% sharp sand also produces good results[262 ]. Cuttings of fully mature wood taken at a node. They can take 3 months, but there is usually a high percentage[3 ]. Layering. Very easy[262 ]. Air layering.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Yellow Granadilla, Bell apple, Buah belebar, Buah belewar, Buah selaseh, Buah susu, Golden apple, Guoi tay, Jamaican honeysuckle, Kratok-rok-farang, Maracuja-laranja, Markusa leutik, Paramarkoesa, Parcha, Pomme liane, Sao warot, Simitu, Sweet cup, Vinegar pear, Water lemon, bay-leaf passion, bay-leaf passionflower, bell-apple, gelbe grenadille, golden bellapple, guldgrenadill, jamaica-honeysuckle, parcha, pomme d'or, sweetcup, wasserlimone, water lemon, water-lemon, waterlemon, yellow granadilla.

Native Range

SOUTHERN AMERICA: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Grenada, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, United States, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and Grenadines, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Peru,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Passiflora actiniaPassion FlowerClimber10.0 8-11 FLMHNM301
Passiflora antioquiensisBanana PassionfruitClimber5.0 10-12 FLMHSNM400
Passiflora caeruleaPassion Flower, Bluecrown passionflower, Blue Passion FlowerClimber10.0 9-11 FLMHNM301
Passiflora edulisPassion Flower, Purple granadillaClimber9.0 9-12 FLMHNM411
Passiflora herbertiana Climber9.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Passiflora incarnataMaypops - Passion Flower, Purple passionflower, Apricot Vine, Maypop, Wild Passion Flower, Purple PaClimber6.0 7-11 FLMHNM330
Passiflora ligularisSweet Grenadilla, Passion FlowerClimber5.0 9-12 FMHSNM500
Passiflora membranaceaPassion FlowerClimber5.0 8-11 FLMHNM30 
Passiflora mollisimaBanana Passion FruitClimber5.0 5-9 FLMHNM30 
Passiflora popenoviiGranadilla de QuijosClimber8.0 10-12 FMHSNM400
Passiflora quadrangularisGiant Granadilla, BadeaClimber15.0 10-12 FMHSNM420
Passiflora speciesPassion FlowerClimber5.0 - FLMHNM30 
Passiflora tarminianabanana passionfruit, banana pokaClimber10.0 10-12 FMHSNM400
Passiflora tetrandra Climber9.0 -  LMHSNM102
Passiflora tripartita mollissimaBanana PassionfruitClimber5.0 10-12 FMHSNM400
Passiflora umbilicataPassion FlowerClimber5.0 8-11 FLMHNM20 
Passiflora x colvilliiPassion FlowerClimber10.0 6-9 FLMHNM20 
Passiflora x exoniensisPassion FlowerClimber5.0 9-11 FLMHNM30 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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