30 Seeds

Purple Passion Flowers look like a miniature flying saucer that was beamed down to earth from the aliens above! In all seriousness though, they are beautiful flowering vines that originate in much of Brazil. Also known as "Panama Passion Flower" or "Panama Passion Fruit," these plants grow to lengths of 15 feet and can produce dozens of fruits once they are well established. 

The flowers themselves are very unique and display colors that you would expect from an exotic plant within a tropical rainforest. Deep purples and lime greens accent its beautiful white petals, while its leaves are a dark green with orange/brown veins. The fruits are about the size of an avocado and can be harvested when they are on the border of both firm and soft. They emit a very strong scent and once they are cut open, the juice and innards can be extracted. Each fruit is filled with seeds, which can be strained or extracted.

Passion fruits are is highly rich in Vitamin C, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin which boosts immunity. They also have iron which increases hemoglobin in our red blood cells. The rich content of riboflavin (Vitamin B6) and niacin (Vitamin B3) in these fruits will help to regulate the thyroid.

While looking at this neat flowering vine, don't forget to also check out the Blue variety of Passion flower as well! (Passiflora caerulea) 

Sowing The Seed

Passion Flower seeds are best started indoors. Our recommended sowing method is the good ol' paper towel trick. Wet a paper towel with warm water, fold it over 2 times, placing the small Passiflora seeds inside. Give it another fold to cover the seeds, placing the towel into a ziplock bag soon after. Place your sealed bag on top of the fridge, or another warm location that will expose the seeds to extreme heat. When the seeds pop open, simply transfer the small sprouts into starter pots for later transplanting, once the weather is warm and all danger of frost has passed. Sow at a depth of 1/4" under topsoil.

Growing Conditions

Passion Flower vines will require an area of full sunlight for at least 6 to 8 hours daily. The plants thrive in temperatures of at least 75F or more and can be taken in on cool nights and throughout the winter months. The soil should be fertile and rich  in organic matter, but also well drained. To increase drainage, we recommend adding a light compost to areas containing hard, compact soil. Water daily to ensure that the soil is moist, but also make sure that the sowing medium is never soggy.

Germination & Growth

Passion Flower seeds will sprout open within 7 to 21 days after sowing, sometimes taking only 5 days or less with the paper towel method. The vines grow to a mature length of up to 15 feet long. Each vine / plant can be spaced a good 12 to 24 inches apart from one another. The flowers are saucer like in formation, displaying 2 separate rows of petals. The wider petals will reside behind its thin, noodle like, inner petals, both of which surround the lime green, alien like centers. Prune to promote heavy blooms.