The cultivation of the passion fruit in your own garden or conservatory is not only worthwhile because of the delicious fruits. The particularly magnificent blossom of the passion fruit is well worth the effort of cultivation.
variety of flowers
Most of the more than 530 known species of passion flower have their origin in South America, but other areas of origin are also in:
- North America
- Australia
- Oceania
- Asia
While North American varieties have a certain frost resistance, other types of passion fruit and in particular the maracuja can only be cultivated as a container plant in this country. The cultivation of different varieties is worthwhile because of the variants of the large, round flowers.
The eponymous symbolism of the passion flower
The passion flower received its German-speaking name from missionaries who claim to have recognized numerous symbols of the Passion of Christ in its flowers. According to these Jesuits, the five petals and sepals symbolize the ten apostles present at the crucifixion and the aureole, Jesus' crown of thorns. While the three handles are supposed to represent the crucifixion nails, the five anthers are associated with the wounds of Christ.
tips and tricks
The best known is the blue passion flower of the genus Passiflora caerulea, but the imported passion fruits mostly come from plants of the Passiflora edulis.