Passiflora Caerulea - How to Grow & Take Care of Your Plant

Passiflora Caerulea flowers are ornamental flowers that can enhance the beauty of a balcony, terrace, patio or cottage garden. Passion vine is ideally grow on walls, fences and trellises. This national flower of Paraguay is commonly known as the Passion Flower or the Blue Passion Flower and is native to South America.

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Key facts

Scientific Name	Passiflora caerulea
Common Name	Passion flower, blue passion flower, passion fruit, Jesus flower
Plant Type	Perennial vine
Native to	South and North America
Family	Passifloraceae (Passion-flower Family)
Season	Evergreen with pink, blue, white, purple, or red flowers with edible fruit
Height	Grows up to 30 feet
Watering	One to two waterings a week
Light	Direct sunlight to partial shade
Ideal growth	Large containers, vertical spaces, trellis or hanging baskets
Soil	Well-drained soil
Bloom season	Summer
Toxicity	Only the ripe fruit is edible

There are many varieties of passion flowers and all have tropical-looking flowers. The most popular ones are Passiflora caerulea (blue passion flower), Passiflora coccinea (red passion flower), Passiflora incarnata (purple passion flower) and Passiflora alata (fragrant granadilla).

The flowers bloom in early summer until winter. Depending on the variety, some flowers last a day but other varieties may bloom for several days.

Does Passiflora Caerulea need full sun?

Passion flowers can grow in full or indirect sunlight. But they don’t thrive in shaded areas. Passiflora Caerulea needs a minimum of 4 to 5 hours of daily sunlight. Whether you grow your passion flowers indoors or outside, they need full sun with partial shade.

How to take care of your plant?

Soil

Passiflora Caerulea prefers moist, fertile and well-drained soil. Too much manure or compost results in lush vegetative growth but poor flowering.

Water

Keep the soil moist throughout the summer. Don’t allow it to dry out but ensure it’s not water-logged. You can reduce watering during winter. Overall, the Passiflora Caerulea thrives in moist conditions. Ideally, maintain a less frequent but deep watering routine for a stronger root system.

Pruning

Prune to control the growth and spread of the blue passion flower. The flowers also grow on new growth. Cut the stems just before the blooming time but do not remove any flower buds. Use sharp pruners to avoid tearing the stems.

Fertilizer

Opt for a high-quality fertilizer with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio. The best is organic compost.

Provide support

As Passiflora Caerulea is a vine, it’s a good idea to place it next to a fence, trellis or any supportive structure, which it can climb. The fast-growing, vigorously climbing vines are covered with dark green leaves. To show off the leafy vines and give a denser appearance, loop them around a wire hoop or trellis.

Common pests and diseases

Passiflora Caerulea prefers high humidity and may develop fungal diseases if the air is not well circulated. The roots may develop fungal diseases if a large amount of top growth is removed at once. Leaf spot, a fungal disease, can occur if the plant is too moist. Remove affected leaves immediately and treat the plant with a fungicide. If kept indoors, the passion flower can be affected by spider mites and whiteflies. Neem oil is the best way to control these indoor pests.

Is Passiflora Caerulea a perennial?

Passiflora Caerulea is indeed a perennial vine with trident-like lobed leaves and strikingly beautiful flowers. The blue and white flowers are about 4-6 inches of active petals, five sepals and violet-blue filament, and green anthers, making passion flowers look beautiful. Blue passion flowers bloom from late summer to early fall. Though it has a fairly long flowering period, the flowers last only for a mere 48 hours, opening at night and slowly closing during the day.

How to grow Passiflora Careulea flower from cuttings?

Passiflora Caerulea can be propagated through seeds but it is commonly done through cuttings. With sharp pruners, take stem cuttings of around 15 cm from the plant. Remove the leaves at the bottom of the cutting, put the cuttings in a pot with moist, well-drained soil and keep it in a warm and humid place. The cuttings should take root within a few weeks.

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Can you eat the fruit of Passiflora Caerulea?

Caerulea has an edible passion fruit. They are edible when ripe (orange-yellow) but are usually insipid. Raw fruit can cause health troubles.

What is Passiflora Caerulea used for?

Passiflora Caerulea’s nectar attracts bees. Its fruit is known for flavour and sweetness and has nutritional properties. Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) is a herbal supplement used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures and hysteria.

Passiflora Caerulea – Myth and symbolism

The plant has been unanimously awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society. Passiflora Caerulea traces its roots to Christian mythology and represents the suffering of Jesus Christ at the crucifixion. The corona of the flower resembles the thorny crown of the thorns of Jesus. In Indian mythology, the passion flower (Passiflora Incarnta) is called The Krishna Kamal. Five sepals signify the Pandavas, 100 corona filaments are the Kauravas and the greenish bulb signifies Draupadi. The three stigmas at the centre depict Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (the Hindu Holy Trinity) and a central structure resemble Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra.

FAQs

Can Passiflora Caerulea be grown indoors?

Yes, the tropical vine can grow indoors in a pot. But ensure that it is exposed to full sunlight for a few hours. Keep the soil well-drained and moist. Prune it and provide it with support to grow.

Is the Passiflora Caerulea poisonous?

The fruit is not poisonous but edible only when ripe. However, the rest of the plant is quite toxic to humans and animals. The stem and leaves produce cyanide compounds, which can be fatal upon ingestion.

Is Passiflora Caerulea invasive?

Passiflora Caerulea grows vigorously and can get invasive. It can spread out very rapidly to a large area. To control vines, prune new growth.

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Purnima Goswami Sharma

Purnima Goswami Sharma is a freelance writer based in Mumbai, who has been contributing to various newspapers, magazines and portals for the last two decades. Besides being a research writer for various TV shows, she has been a visiting faculty at SNDT for Communication Skills. She hold a master’s degree in English Literature from Mumbai University and a diploma in Communications and Journalism. She writes on diverse subjects like real estate, interiors, education, lifestyle, health, entertainment and environment.

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