Passiflora 'La Morellina'

RHS Plant Profile

passion flower 'La Morellina'

RHS

Climber Wall Shrub

A vigorous, twining climber with semi-evergreen, lobed leaves. Flowers with reflexed purple petals and deeper purple to blue coronal filaments are borne from summer into early autumn and may be followed by orange-yellow fruits. The pulp in the fruits only can be eaten when they are fully ripe and yellow-orange. Unripe fruit and is toxic

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 2.5-4 metres
Max Height: 4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

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

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–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): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Passifloraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi 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: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Fast-growing climber for a warm position in a sunny and sheltered position; thrives in moist but well-drained soil. In cold areas, grow in a container and overwinter indoors

Propagation

Propagate by, semi-hardwood cuttings or by layering in spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 11 or pruning group 12

Pests

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

Diseases

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