Passion Fruit Vines for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on February 28, 2022

Planting instructions

Plant your passion fruit vine near a trellis so that it can use its tendrils to climb as it expands. The area you choose should have full sun exposure and plenty of adjacent space into which your passion fruit vine can spread its roots. If you live where it is warm enough to grow this species outdoors, plant it in the spring or summer. If you live in a colder region, you can grow this plant in an indoor container as long as it gets four hours of light.

Watering and nutrients

Passion fruit vines need a lot of water. Upon first planting this vine, you should soak its soil thoroughly. After the vine has established healthy ongoing growth, you can continue watering it at least once per week. Water becomes even more necessary when this plant produces flowers and fruit. Begin the spring with an application of fertilizer, then repeat that application about once per month until autumn arrives. Fertilizers with relatively low percentages of the three main macronutrients are often the best choice for the passion fruit vine, as higher quantities may cause stress in the form of fertilizer burn.

Pollination

Passion fruit vine flowers contain both male and female parts, making these plants self-fertilizing. However, there are some cases in which a passion fruit vine will not be self-compatible. That means your passion fruit may need cross-pollination. Still, a single passion fruit vine often will produce fruit without the need for an additional plant. Passion fruit vine pollen is relatively heavy, which means that wind pollination is not possible. Instead, these plants rely on pollinating insects like bees.

Pruning

Passion fruit vines require regular pruning. Otherwise, they may spread where you don’t want them to. Your first goal when pruning should be to encourage this plant to climb on a structure such as a lattice or an arbor. You can also use pruning cuts to make this plant a bit denser and produce a higher quantity of flowers and fruit. Do your pruning just before spring arrives, and be sure to remove any branches that are diseased or dying.

Pests, diseases, and animals

One of the most common pests that attack the passion fruit vine is the passion vine hopper. These insects can cause leaves to wilt and can affect the fruits as well. Other insects, including mealybugs and fruit flies, are also common for passion fruit vine. Passion fruit vines may contract a fungal disease. When that happens, you’ll notice parts of the leaves look brown and dead. Fortunately, some passion fruit vine varieties are disease-resistant.

Harvesting

A passion fruit that is ready for harvest is round; has a deep, consistent color; and is somewhat soft to the touch. Some extremely ripe fruits will have slight wrinkles on the skin. It is incredibly easy to remove a passion fruit from the vine at that stage. In most cases, you can use your hand to give the fruit a slight twist. That small action will release the fruit without much effort. In fact, it is common for fruit to fall off of the vine without any effort on your part.

Achieving maximum results

Before you grow a passion fruit vine, you should know that there are two main varieties out there. The standard version, known as Passiflora edulis, produces a purple fruit, while the variety known as P. edulis f. Flavicarpa is called yellow passion fruit vine for the color of its fruit. Yellow passion fruit vines often produce more fruits per harvest and exhibit a more vigorous growth habit. However, the quality of that fruit is not the same, as it is often more acidic and less juicy.

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