We depend on donations from users of our database of over 8000 edible and useful plants to keep making it available free of charge and to further extend and improve it. In recent months donations are down, and we are spending more than we receive. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Passiflora_caerulea - L.

Common Name Passion Flower, Bluecrown passionflower, Blue Passion Flower
Family Passifloraceae
USDA hardiness 9-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Not known
Range Central and Western S. America - Brazil.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Full sun
Passiflora_caerulea Passion Flower, Bluecrown passionflower, Blue Passion Flower


(c) 2010 Ken Fern & Plants For A Future
Passiflora_caerulea Passion Flower, Bluecrown passionflower, Blue Passion Flower
(c) 2010 Ken Fern & Plants For A Future

 

Translate this page:

Summary

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Variable height, Variable spread.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of climber
Passiflora_caerulea is an evergreen Climber growing to 10 m (32ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 4, 105]. The unripe fruits are cooked[177], whilst the ripe fruits are eaten raw or made into a refreshing drink[183]. The flavour is not very desirable[3]. The fruit is about 6cm long and 4cm wide, it is partly hollow and contains a small amount of pleasant acid-tasting pulp surrounding a large quantity of seeds[K]. The flowers can be made into a syrup.

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.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

This plant can be used as a rootstock for some of the less hardy members of this genus, conferring on them an additional cold tolerance. Be careful that root suckers do not take over from the grafted plant[200].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Arbor, container. Requires a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season, otherwise it is not fussy[1, 200]. Dislikes highly alkaline soils[202]. Hardy to about -15°c, if plants are cut down to the ground by frost they can regenerate from the base[200]. Very fast growing[11]. Roots of outdoor grown plants should be restricted to encourage fruiting[1]. Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants. The plant has a very long flowering period, from early summer to early autumn, though individual flowers only live for about 48 hours[245]. The flowers are open all night and start to close in the morning[260]. The flowers are delicately scented[245]. The cultivar 'Constance Elliot' is more fragrant[245]. 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[88, 200]. The flowers open in sunny weather and do not open on dull cloudy days[219]. Fruit is only formed after long hot summers in Britain[166]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[202]. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[219]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]. Special Features: Not North American native, Wetlands plant, Attracts butterflies, Attractive flowers or blooms.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

Shop Now

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[88]. 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. Cuttings of young shoots, 15cm with a heel, in spring[1]. Leaf bud cuttings in spring. Cuttings of fully mature wood in early summer. Takes 3 months. High percentage[3].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

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 :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Passiflora caeruleaPassion Flower, Bluecrown passionflower, Blue Passion FlowerClimber10.0 9-11 FLMHNM301

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.

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

11200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

david   Tue Jan 9 05:16:10 2001

Apparently P. coerulea (with an o not an a, I expect it is the same plant) has been used for nervous and menstral complaints in much the same way as P.incarnata in Paraguay. I've no idea of safety or effectiveness. I've been drinking a relaxing tea of herbs including P.incarnata, is very nice, I expect it is the very nice ingredient. Seems to provide a similar degree of ease, relaxation as beer or (I imagine) dope without the often undesirable(& illegal) intoxication. It also appears to be quite compatable with physical work to me, even helpful.

Have never seen a P.incarnara plant, think it may not be in this country (New Zealand). p.caerulea is available here, haven't tried itm dont know if I will.

ref: p213(footnote.) Maori healing and Herbal . Murdoch Riley. Viking Sevenseas Ltd.1997

David Nicholls   Thu Jan 11 02:36:46 2001

Since writing this I've read in the widely available book "Tyler's Honest Herbal" that P. caerulea has harmful substances in it(& identifies them) and says that confusion between this and p. incarnata has given P. incarnata an undeserved bad name. (I won't go into details in respect to copywrite and his hard work).

So the above info on Paraguay uses is not for the home experimenter, I certainly won't be trying it . Perhaps there would be potential for chemists to seperate toxins from useful costituents, if there are any.

Learning more about what they do with it in Paraguay would still be of interest to me.

David M. Chandler   Tue Jul 19 23:02:47 2005

See also: http://www.cis.um.edu.mt/~phcy/symp98/SimoneSchembri.html

Link: Botanicls Online Details of P. caerulea's use medicinally

Mrs Susan Washington   Thu Jul 15 17:52:38 2004

Could someone tell me what part of the flower do I get the seed from. My plant is doing extremely well and I have one friut growing at the moment. Thankyou. Sue

Martin Short   Sat Sep 6 2008

Good Morning, Just wanted to learn a little bit extra about the fruit and any do's and don'ts on the eating of it. I assume that when te fruit has gone orange all over they are ripe. They can, I undersatnd be eaten raw - perhaps with a little sugar. Any other suggestions as to what to do with them would be great. Many Thanks Martin

Alastair Bruce   Tue Sep 23 2008

My Caerulea, the third grown in succession, is about to suffer the same fate as the others - the leaves are drooping and I expect the plant will die. All summer it has been fine, with flowers and good growth. This one is a cutting from the last, snatched as a last gasp. I use Innes no 2 or 3 and the pot is about 15" diameter. Am I jinxed or are they herbaceous? It is in a cold greenhouse. Any help gratefully reveived.

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Passiflora_caerulea  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.