Grow passion flower in full sun and well-drained soil, against a sturdy trellis the tendrils can grab. Passion flower is Passiflora — not the fuzzy purple passion plant.
Give it full sun, well-drained soil, and a sturdy trellis
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun; light afternoon shade in hot summers | Do not plant in deep shade that makes leaves and few flowers |
| Soil | Fertile ground that drains after rain | Do not leave a puddle around the crown, especially in winter |
| Support | A fence, arbor, or wire the tendrils can wrap | Do not plant against a smooth wall with nothing to grab |
| Kind | Match hardy ornamental, maypop, or tropical fruit to your winter | Do not treat every tag as grocery passion fruit |
Passion flower climbs with tendrils. Set the vine where it gets at least six hours of sun and where water does not stand. A hybrid such as Amethyst wants the same sun and drain as blue passion flower. [1] [2] Choose the group on Types of Passion Flower if the tag is only a cultivar name.
Maypop dies to the ground; tropical vines do not
maypop is a hardy native. Top growth dies in a hard freeze and new shoots come from the roots — often late in spring, and sometimes a few feet away as suckers. Tropical passion fruit does not do that job; keep-alive for a crop is on How to Grow Passion Fruit.
Does passion flower need full sun?
Yes for the best bloom. It takes some shade, but flowering falls off in deep shade.
Water until it is established, then keep the soil evenly moist
New vines need regular water. Flower buds drop if the soil dries hard while the plant is in bloom.
- Soak after planting, and keep the root ball moist through the first growing season.
- Give about an inch to an inch and a half of water a week in a dry first summer, from rain or the hose. [3]
- After roots take, water in a long drought. Do not leave the crown in a puddle.
- Water the soil, not a nightly spray on the leaves.
How often do I water passion flower?
Keep a new plant moist for the first season. Then water in drought. Do not leave the crown wet in winter.
Protect hardy roots with mulch
Hardy ornamentals and maypop stay in the ground. After the soil cools, spread mulch over the root zone and keep it off the stems. Tropical kinds belong in a draining pot you can move — that job is on Passion Flower in Pots. Do not strip live wood in fall as a winter shortcut — timing the cut is on Pruning Passion Flower.
Can I leave passion flower outside in winter?
Maypop and hardy ornamentals stay in the ground with mulch. Tropical fruit and red ornamentals need a pot you can move before frost.
Not purple passion plant, and not a clematis
Purple passion plant is Gynura, a fuzzy-leaf houseplant with no corona flower. Clematis is a different genus; it climbs with leaf stalks, not tendrils, and the flower has no passion-flower fringe. [4] Wisteria, mandevilla, and black-eyed Susan vine are other climbers, not Passiflora.
Is passion flower the same as passion fruit?
Passion fruit is one Passiflora — usually edulis. Most hardy vines are grown for flowers. Maypop pulp is not grocery passion fruit.
If buds drop, water the soil — do not move the vine into deeper shade.
FAQ
Is passion flower used as tea?
Dried incarnata is sold as an herb. That is not a grow job. Leaves and stems can cause nausea if eaten. Do not make tea from the vine as a care step.
Can I grow passion flower in a pot?
Yes — a draining pot you can move is the usual home for a tender vine. See Passion Flower in Pots.
Do gulf fritillary caterpillars kill the vine?
They eat leaves. Leave them if you want the butterflies. Do not spray the vine while it is in bloom.
Why is my passion flower not blooming?
Shade, a dry spell that drops buds, or too much nitrogen. Give sun, even moisture, and a trellis. Do not treat no bloom as a pruning cue alone.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/passiflora-incarnata/ - [2] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/passion-flower/ - [3] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/passion-flower/growing-guide - [4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PAIN6
This note is part of Passiflora Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors