Words Chloe Thomson
If there’s one vine more delicious than a grapevine it would have to be that prolific evergreen, passionfruit.
Vigorous climbers known for their lush, evergreen foliage and stunningly intricate flowers, passionfruit vines, once established, are reliable heavy croppers that thrive in warm climates.
However, certain varieties will happily fruit as far south as Melbourne and sheltered areas of Tasmania if protected from heavy frosts and strong winds.
Passionfruit vines are ideal for covering fences, trellises or pergolas and their fast-growing nature means they quickly provide shade and privacy. Plant passionfruit vines in spring or early summer when the soil is warm and with a bit of luck you might even get fruit the following autumn.
In warm climates with mild winters you can expect to get fruit year round from a passionfruit vine. Interestingly, though, the summer fruit is typically sweeter than the winter fruit.
In cooler climates, the peak of production will occur in summer into autumn. Passionfruit is a rich source of vitamins A and C, as well as dietary fibre and antioxidants.
Growing and care
Passionfruit vines need a sunny spot with well-drained, fertile soil. They hate waterlogged soils that can cause root rot, so always plant the vines into mounded soil or a raised bed with good drainage.
At planting time, mix compost and aged manure through the soil in the planting hole to give your young vine the best start in life.
As passionfruit vines can grow pretty large, pretty quickly — up to 8 or 9m long — it’s important to provide them with a strong support structure from planting. They love climbing up and over, so a pergola or tall trellis is ideal.
If you’re planting more than one vine, allow 1.5–2m between them for adequate air circulation and growth.
Water your passionfruit vine regularly, especially during dry periods. Mulch with organic sugarcane or straw around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Fertilise with a complete organic fertiliser in spring and again in late summer to promote healthy growth and fruit production.
Prune in late winter or early spring before the new growth starts. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased stems and trim back excessive growth to encourage more branching. This will help the plant focus its energy on producing fruit.
Pests such as aphids and scale can be attracted to the vine’s soft new growth. Keep an eye out for any signs of infestation and treat them promptly with an organic horticultural preparation such as eco oil or encourage natural predators into your garden with plenty of flowering plants nearby.
Harvest
Passionfruit are ready to harvest when they drop from the vine, so keep an eye on the ground beneath your vine on a daily basis in peak harvest season. Fallen fruit can quickly rot if left on the ground too long.
Commercial passionfruit growers notice a larger fruit drop on or around the full moon, so keep your eyes peeled then and be ready with a bigger harvest bucket!
The beauty of homegrown passionfruit is that you can enjoy them at their peak ripeness, which means maximum flavour. Simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the juicy, aromatic pulp. Passionfruit can be eaten fresh, added to desserts, or used to make delicious sauces and drinks.
Grafted or Non-grafted?
Non-grafted passionfruit vines will not send up suckers as readily as grafted ones.
Grafting is designed to improve the plant’s tolerance of disease and cool temperatures, but beware: the rootstock used for grafted passionfruit is the weedy blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea), distinguished by its five-lobed leaves. It can quickly over take a space and is notoriously hard to get rid of.
So, if you do want to grow a grafted variety for its cool tolerance, just be sure to regularly check for any growth beneath the graft and remove it quickly.
Varieties to try
Depending on the variety, the skin colour of passionfruit can range from green to purple or even yellow.
‘Nellie Kelly’ (P. edulis) is a popular variety, often grafted, known for its hardiness and productivity, especially in cooler climates. It produces large, purple-skinned fruit with a tangy, aromatic pulp.
‘Black’ (P. edulis) A non-grafted variety that will perform in cooler climates and tolerates light frosts. Related to the popular commercial variety ‘Misty Gem’, ‘Black’ produces a juicy, orange-fleshed fruit with a sweet, aromatic flavour.
‘Panama Red’ (P. edulis) A vigorous variety that thrives in warmer climates, producing large, red skinned fruit with a sweet tropical flavour. Ideal for regions with mild winters.
‘Sweetheart’ (P. edulis) is an extrasweet version of the traditional black passionfruit. Its fruit is full of extrasweet, juicy pulp.
‘Banana’ (P. mollissima) is an elongated yellow-skinned fruit with sweet pulp and very attractive pinkish flowers. Best suited to cooler or temperate climates but can be grown in the subtropics with care.
Passion Statement
Passionfruit derives its name from its genus Passiflora or “passionflower”, so called by missionaries in Brazil who saw the flower with its five sepals as symbolising the five wounds of Jesus during the Passion of Christ.
Passionfruit label
Common name: Passionfruit, black passionfruit
Botanical name: Passiflora edulis
Family: Passifloraceae
Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil
Best climate: Tropics, subtropics, temperate, Mediterranean
Habit: Evergreen vine
Propagation: Seed, grafting
Difficulty: Moderate