Passion flower is not just passion flower. There are over 500 different species, which are also at home in different climate zones. Although most Passiflora come from subtropical and tropical regions of South America and are therefore not hardy, others know the cold from their homeland.
Most Passiflora are not hardy
With a few exceptions (see table below), passion flowers are not hardy - and even for the exceptions mentioned, the specified winter hardiness is not absolute. Experienced gardeners recommend only planting hardy passion flowers in regions with mild winters, otherwise all Passiflora should hibernate under cold house conditions indoors or in a greenhouse if possible. Specifically, this means:
- Prune passionflowers in the fall
- and bring them into the house as soon as the temperatures drop permanently below 10 "C.
- Hibernation in a frost-free,
- but cool (max. 10 to 12 °C)
- and bright room.
- The stronger the fall pruning, the darker the room can be.
- Don't fertilize.
- Fertilize little but regularly.
If the hardy passion flower is to spend the winter outside, the roots in particular should be protected with a thick layer of bark mulch and brushwood, if necessary with a cold protection fleece. Passionflowers cultivated as houseplants, on the other hand, remain where they are and may only be pruned back. But even with these specimens, fertilization and watering should be reduced.
Hardy Passifora species
You will certainly find the hardy passion flower you are looking for in the table below. The species listed originally come from climate zones in which temperatures can easily fall below zero. Their frost hardness is usually given as up to -15 °C, but this is only a rough estimate. These passiflora can certainly overwinter outside in regions with rather mild winters, provided they are provided with appropriate winter protection. However, where experience has shown that it gets very cold and snow is to be expected, this form of hibernation is not recommended. The upper shoots can be cut down radically to about 15 to 20 centimeters in autumn, the plant will sprout again from the rhizomes or roots in spring.
| Passion flower - Art | flower color | flower size | frost hardiness | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passiflora violacea | violet | about 12 centimeters | up to approx. - 10 °C | very well suited for bucket keeping |
| P. tucumanensis | blue-white or purple-white banded | about 7 centimeters | up to approx. -15 °C | very distinctive flowers |
| P. incarnata (flesh colored passion flower) | pink, red-violet or white | about 8 centimeters, with fringe-like, wavy appendages | up to approx. - 15 °C | Medicinal plant, is considered the most frost-hardy passion flower |
| P.lutea | light green to white | about 2.5 centimeters | up to approx. - 15 °C | profusely blooming |
| P. caerulea (Blue Passion Flower) | blue White | about 10 centimeters | up to approx. - 15 °C | one of the most popular Passiflora species |
tips and tricks
From around March, slowly wake your passion flower from hibernation. But be careful with the sun: do not place the plant directly in the midday sun, but slowly get used to it again.