LEAF Network Linking Edible Arizona Forests

This LEAF Network website is growing! Our site is currently under construction. We are adding new resources and pages almost daily. Thank you for visiting our work in progress!

Back

passion fruit

Member profile details

IDENTIFICATION

Common Name

passion fruit

Photo #1

Scientific Name

Passiflora edulis Simms.

Family

Passifloraceae

Spanish Name

granadilla

Species Description

The passionfruit vine is a shallow-rooted, woody perennial vine that climbs via tendrils. The alternate evergreen leaves are deeply 3-lobed when mature. Leaves are 3 to 8 inches long, finely toothed along the margins, deep green and glossy on the upper surface, paler and dull beneath, and may be tinged with red or purple. Fragrant 5-petalled flowers appear singly, clasped by three large, green bracts and with a central crown of straight, white-tipped purple rays. The spherical to ovoid fruit is 1-3 inches in diameter with a tough, waxy skin. Inside, the fruit cavity has an aromatic mass of membranous sacs. Each sac is filled with orange-colored, pulpy juice and small, hard, brown to black seeds. The flavor is tart to sweet, musky and guava-like.

NATURAL / CULTURAL HISTORY

AZ Native or Introduced

Introduced to Arizona

Natural Range

The purple passionfruit is native to southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. Now widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions.

Natural Habitat

Passionfruit are native to the South American tropics and rainforest. Passionfruit are moderately intolerant of shade, though the vines require trees, bushes, or fences to climb. Wild plants are found in open forest habitats, streambottom gallery forests, fencerows, abandoned farms, and neglected areas within urban environments.

Cultural-Historic Notes

Passionfruit has been used as food and medicine for the people of the South American tropics for thousands of years. Various species of Passiflora have been domesticated to eat as fresh fruit or to make refreshing juices. In the Brazil Amazon, over 200 species of fruit-bearing Passiflora have been recorded. Yellow passionfruit is the most widely cultivated species in the warm humid tropics, and its pulp is mixed with water and sugar to make drinks, sherbet, ice cream, and preserves.

GROWTH FORM & RATE

Growth Form

Vine

Tree or Understory

Understory

Other Growth Characteristics

Evergreen

Growth Rate

Moderate

Canopy Diameter

Long vine, trained to space.

Tree Height

Long vine, trained to space.

Lifespan

5-7 years

Chill Hours

None required

Freeze Tolerance

Passionfruit prefers a frost-free climate. Some cultivars can withstand brief temperatures below freezing without serious damage.

Site, Micro-Climate, and Growing Considerations

Plant passionfruit vines in full sun, except in hot areas where partial shade is preferable. Vines need wind protection. The vines can be vigorous; plant next to a fence or strong trellis.

Appropriate Arizona Elevation Categories

MID DESERT: Tucson, Ajo, Safford, Casa Grande - USDA Zones 9a-9b (20-30ºF)
LOW DESERT: Phoenix, Lake Havasu City, Yuma - USDA Zones 9b-10a (25-35ºF)

USDA Interactive Plant Zone Map for Arizona

USDA Interactive Plant Zone Map for Arizona

WATER

Relative Plant Water Use

High: 35-60 inches / year

Post-Establishment Irrigation Needs

2 X Month in Growing Season

Notes on Species-Specific Water Needs

Passionfruit vines are subtropical to tropical and need frequent watering and high humidity. Regular watering will keep a vine flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

CARE

Pollination

Passion fruit have very diverse pollinator types, and can be self fertile or need cross pollination, depending on the variety. Purple passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) flowers are self fertile, but pollination is best under humid conditions. Carpenter bees are a more effective pollinator than honeybees.

Soils

Passionfruit vines are grown on many soil types but well-drained, medium textured, light to heavy sandy loams with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 are best. If the soil is too acid, lime can be applied.

Propagation

Passionfruit vines are usually grown from seeds. Fruits may be stored for 1-2 weeks to fully ripen or ferment before seeds are extracted. If planted soon after removal from the fruit, seeds will germinate in 2 to 3 weeks. Cleaned and stored seeds have a lower and slower rate of germination. Cover seeds lightly and keep moist until germination. Seedlings may be transplanted when 10 inches high. Cuttings or mature wood with 3-4 nodes can be rooted with rooting hormone. Grafting is an important means of perpetuating hybrids, and reducing nematode damage and diseases by utilizing yellow passionfruit rootstock. Scions from healthy young vines are preferred to those from mature plants.

Pest & Disease Control

In tropical areas, vines are susceptible to many pests and diseases. Purple passionfruit is particularly vulnerable to nematodes, while the yellow passionfruit is more nematode resistant.

Pruning Notes

Prune to train the vines, facilitate harvest and keep plants productive. Prune in early spring (in areas with cool winters). Remove weak vines and cut back vigorous vines by at about one-third of their length. In hot climates, leave enough foliage to grow around the fruit and prevent sunburn.

HARVEST & PROCESSING

Edible Parts

The fruit will quickly turn from green to deep purple (or yellow) when ripe and fall to the ground. They can either be picked when they change color or gathered from the ground. To store the fruit, carefully wash, dry, and place them in bags. They should last 2 to 3 weeks at 50 degrees F. The fruit is sweetest when slightly shriveled. Fruit is primarily eaten fresh or juiced, and the juice can also be concentrated into syrup. Fruit and juice may also be frozen.

Harvest Months

June
July
August
September
October
November

Harvest and Processing Guide

Harvest and Processing Guide

LEAF is under the fiduciary stewardship of the Arizona Community Tree Council, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

PO Box 65122, Phoenix, Arizona 85082-5122

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

This website and other LEAF Network products shown here was prepared under the Diverse Urban Forest grant, WCG 14-501, administered by the Arizona Community Tree Council. Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program administered through Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management – Urban and Community Forestry Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. In accordance with Federal law and USDA policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability (Not all prohibited basis applies to all programs). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.