Rough Draft 1.0 9/21/2020
Intro
The Blue Passion Flower is a brilliant, detailed, and beautiful flower that many climate zones can enjoy. The Passion flower does grow on a vine and this vine and plant is considered an evergreen in frost free climates. If you reside in a colder climate during the winter with proper care Passion Flowers can be enjoyed as well. Happy news to know that this vine is a perennial so it will continue to grow and blossom year after year.
Full Sun and Mulch
Sunshine
Passion Flowers love a full sun location. When we were first married this was one of the first outdoor plants we purchased. We had a small yard we could keep as our own. We lived in the Pacific Northwest so the sun is hard to come by. During the summer my husband found a great sunny spot against a side fence. We planted the passion flower vine there and the blooms were gorgeous. The fence was a brilliant spot too because it gave space for the vine to expand and climb. Tip – in hotter climates partial shade is great in the afternoon for the Passion Flower to flourish.
Mulching
Adding mulch to the base of many outdoor plants is a wonderful way to care for your plants when it comes to keeping the soil moist and weeds at bay especially during the summer months. The passion flower loves moist soil and while mulching around the roots during the summer it will ensure that the soil can stay cool and moist between waters. Placing mulch down in the fall will help your plant during the winter to protect the roots. In really cold winter climates it’s a good idea to put down some burlap covered with mulch for the winter. The key to great success with a passion flower is to always protect and treat the roots with care all year round.
Popular with Pollinators
Pollinators and Exotic Flowers
It’s given that when you have flowers it’s 98% positive you’ll notice the bees and their hum during the warm spring and summer months. There is good news too, gentle butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the passion flower and are great pollinators as well.
Outdoor or Indoor vine?
Outdoors
A trellis, fence or arbor is an ideal place to plant your passion flower next to or near. These structures will give your vines the space they need to spread and they will be a beautiful covering.
Pruning
Prune your passion flowers after flowering just to keep them neat by cutting back to a healthy bud. There’s no need to cut them back hard or any further. If plants have grown crazy or out of hand and need retraining, spring is the best time to cut them back.
Indoors
Pots and or containers are the answer for some growers . The containers can be outdoors during the summer and indoors in sunny spot but out of direct sun for the winter. Also during the winter months it should be watered sparingly.
Christian Symbolism
If you are Christian the symbolism found on the Encyclopedia Britannica website may be interesting to know. In summary, the passion flower blossom is often used to symbolize the last hours of Christs life, which account for the name of the passion flower species. Different parts of the passion flower represent events that come from the bible. The corona represents the crown of thorns, the styles represent the nails used in the Crucifixion, the stamens represent the five wounds and the tendrils represent the whips. Lastly the five sepals and five petals represent 10 of the faithful apostles.
The last time I was visiting California our son took us to a botanical garden. We were walking the grounds and I came across a blue passion flower, I recognized it right away and it was a joy to see so many years later. I found it interesting that it was much on it’s own with plenty of space between the plants on either side of it. There is a reason why because space is needed when growing a passion flower. The vines can grow as much as 20 feet each year and wrap their thin tendrils around structures and surrounding plants as it climbs. Frequent pruning or cutting back each fall before the first frost Is important if you have a limited garden space because the passion flower vines will cling and scramble over other plants in the garden. If planting, a passion flower is a sight to enjoy. This intricate flower blossoming in the spring and throughout the summer months will be a colorful eye catcher for all to see.
Resource Links
https://www.gardenista.com/posts/9-ways-to-create-curb-appeal-with-flowering-vines-and-climbers/
https://www.gardenista.com/garden-design-101/vines/passion-flower-vines-plant-care-growing-guide/
https://www.gardenista.com/posts/gardening-101-passion-flower-vines-plant-growing-care-guide/
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/grow-guide-passion-flowers/