Passiflora mollissima (Kunth) L.H. Bailey (F)

Other common names

curuba, sweet calabash

Synonyms

Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima

Climber Wall Shrub

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A fast-growing evergreen climber to 5m in height with three slightly downy oval mid-green leaflets with heart-shaped bases making up each leaf. Large mid-pink flowers up to 9cm across are borne from midsummer to late autumn, followed by oblong yellow fruits. The pulp in the fruits only can be eaten when they are fully ripe and yellow-orange. Unripe fruit is toxic

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Neutral or Alkaline or Acid

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or West–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H2

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Passifloraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Climbing
Potentially harmful: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Passiflora are mostly tender tendril-climbing shrubs, with simple or palmately-lobed, generally evergreen leaves and showy flowers of distinctive structure with often colourful coronal filaments, followed by conspicuous fruits, edible in some species
Name Status: Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant in a greenhouse border or in large pots of peat-free, loam-based compost with bright light, but not direct sun. Water sparingly in winter, but freely in summer and liquid feed once a month with a balanced fertiliser

Propagation

Propagate by seed at 13-18°C in spring, take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or layer in spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Climber and wall shrubs
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

Pruning group 11 or 12, if necessary, in early spring

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, glasshouse whitefly, mealybugs and scale insects

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely) and a virus