Every July it begins to look like tiny alien spaceships have landed in our yard ... that's when the passionflowers start blooming. Talk about a crazy looking flower ... I think they look like something from another planet and am pretty sure I hear them saying "Nanu Nanu" when I get close to them (lol).
Passionflowers are perennial, woody vines with very unique and often brightly colored flowers. They are easy to grow and make any garden look tropical and exotic. They are definite conversation pieces!
There are hundreds of different varieties of passionflower ranging in color from blue to purple to red to yellow, green or white. They are rather fast growers and actually tend to be a bit invasive here in Virginia. They aren't fussy as long as they have adequate sunlight & water and, when happy, a passion flower vine can reach 30 feet or more in just about every direction.
Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)
The variety that we have growing in our gardens is Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea). Blue Passionflower has large blue and white flowers (about 3 inches wide) and easily gets to be 30 feet long. After flowering, Passiflora caerulea produces little orange (edible!) fruit too. Blue Passionflower is hardy in zones 7-10 and prefers full sun, but will grow in part shade too. In areas with mild winters it can be evergreen, and in colder areas it is deciduous and returns each spring.
Passionflower is fragrant and easily attracts tons of butterflies and bumblebees. Without a doubt, it is one of the most beautiful and unique flowers you can grow!
Here are a few photos I took of our Blue Passionflowers yesterday....
Join the Conversation!