Introducing...
Border passion flowers
Botanical name: Passiflora
Common name: Passion flower
Producing a succession of summer flowers, these vigorous plants can cover sunny walls and fences. In a sheltered location, you can grow them over arbours and pergolas or through established trees and shrubs.
This group includes the common blue Passiflora caerulea, its white cultivar Passiflora 'Constance Elliot' and several other named hybrids.
Looks
The striking flowers comprise a ring of white petals surrounding a boss of usually purple-blue and white filaments, seemingly nailed in position by the prominent reproductive parts that project from the centre.
Likes
Passion flowers do best in full sun, flowering most freely against a warm wall. They will tolerate light shade but flower less freely. Your passion flower will need to climb on a trellis or wires if you grow it against a wall or fence, and will need ample space in which to grow. These vigorous climbers can produce stems up to 25m (82ft) long; although on a fence or wall you can train these back and forth to save space. Any well-drained soil is suitable.
Dislikes
Passion flowers won't flower well in a very shady position. A very hard frost can kill some or all of the top-growth but established plants usually recover well.
Did you know?
The passion flower got its name from the Passion of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.
Growing guide
How to grow passion flowers
All the information you'll need to grow and care for passion flowers in your garden.
Border passion flowers we recommend
Passiflora × exoniensis
Exeter passion flower
- 4–8 metres
- 0.5–1 metres
Passiflora × exoniensis
Exeter passion flower
- 4–8 metres
- 0.5–1 metres
Useful advice
Aphids
Climbers: training and pruning on planting
Garden thugs: potential nuisance plants
Pergolas
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