Also known by the scientific name of passiflora incarnata, this is a semi-tropical vine that is popularly cultivated all over the world with great pursuit. There are more than 500 species of the purple passion flower, some of them bearing edible fruits. Purple passion flower vine is also grown as a medicinal plant for its usefulness, in treatment of insomnia and as a sedative in many nervous disorders. The other name of purple passion flower is Maypop. It contains small berrylike flowers, that are known as Granadilla.
Purple passion flower indicates certain Christian beliefs related to crucifixion and is also related with romance. It is said that the purple color of these flowers made the pilgrims aware of the passion and sufferings of Jesus Christ. Cultivation of passion flower vine, as an outdoor decorating plant, has really boomed in the recent years. It is vastly seen in patios of houses and is also a perfect plant for the hanging baskets. They serve as the perfect outdoor plant in almost all types of atmospheric condition, which is the main reason behind their popularity.
Purple Passion Flower Vine
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass | Rosidae |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Passifloraceae |
| Genus | Passiflora |
Purple Passion Vine
The purple passion flower vine is an ornamental plant, that really helps in enhancing the exterior ambiance of a house. These flowers are found in tropical American regions like Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru. Some of the purple passion flowers are scented and that are largely used in making perfumes. The flowers are pink, lavender to bright purple in color with mild fragrance that attracts many birds. It is a must plant for any butterfly garden. Gardening the vine is easy, if you know the basic characteristic of the plant.
Emplacement and Light
The vine requires a partly shady to full sunny environment but mind you, not extremely strong sunlight. So, the best suggestion is to provide them with partial shade. This vine is extremely fast growing and sprawling kind of vine. So if you want to cultivate them outdoors, make sure you plant them on trellis and near some chain link fences, rock gardens or at least a concrete surface. Certain species of the passion vines are best suited to be planted as container plants for indoor gardening. The areas having plenty of sunlight and humid environment provide best conditions for the growth of the vines.
Soil and Moisture
It requires an average amount of water, fed on regular basis. Make sure that the plant has soaked up all the earlier fed water before watering it again. The soil pH must be mildly alkaline, mildly acidic and most preferably neutral. While planting the vine use, 2 parts of peat moss mixed in 2 parts of loam + 1 part of sand.
Fertilization and Repotting
The vines require fertilization on a regular basis and most probably every 30 days. Use a good quality fertilizer with pH balance somewhere in between 2-1-3. As stated earlier, the purple passion flowers are extremely fast growing plants, hence they require yearly repotting, during September which is the start of their growing season. During winter time, the water schedule must be adjusted according to the temperature in your area. The purple passion vines generally hold on for a long time to the water with a temperature of 90C. Trimming the leaves is very important with the onset of spring season.
Propagation and Seed Collection
Purple passion flower vines are propagated by the division of the offsets, cuttings and from seeds sown directly in soil or simply by soil layering. For sowing the seeds, remove the fleshy part off the seed and let the seed dry completely before sowing it. When propagated in fall, the purple passion flower vines give best results. Purple passion fruits appear after first 2-3 months of flowering, the fruits are yellowish and soft in nature. Fully matured seeds are brown in color and they must be cleaned as soon as possible. To enhance the bushy structure of the vine, make ridges around the plant, in its first flowering season.
If you are buying the plant from the market, them make sure you pick up the plant with clear and healthy foliage and with good roots. Following the above explained gardening instructions, will definitely give you the best results. It should also be remembered, that the ingestion of some parts of the vines can be toxic, especially to the pregnant women.
Purple passion flower vine is a great ornamental plant if you are trying to glorify your flower garden. Do plant a purple passion vine to verify my statement and let me know your opinion!
