Passion flowers (Passiflora spp. and cvs., Zones 6–11) are beloved by many gardeners, and it’s easy to see why. With over 550 species, including shrubs and trees, the most well-known are the tropical-looking, tendril-bearing, climbing, flowering vines. These varieties are particularly appealing, as some even produce deliciously complex-flavored, fragrant, sweet-tart fruit.
The vines themselves are lovely, with lush, glossy green foliage and beautiful spiraling tendrils. However, it’s the extraordinary flowers that truly stand out. These blooms are unique and mesmerizing, inspiring 17th-century Christian missionaries visiting Mexico and Central America to adopt them as a symbol of the last days of Jesus, using the Latin word passio, meaning “suffering.” Despite this somber association, the flowers come in a stunning array of hues and forms.
Pollinators are also drawn to passion flowers, with bees, butterflies, wasps, bats, and hummingbirds all making visits. The vines serve as hosts to the larvae of several butterfly species, including the gulf fritillary in my zone (9b). Although the caterpillars can sometimes decimate the plants, the vines invariably bounce back beautifully once the caterpillars pupate and become butterflies.
There are many varieties of passion flowers available for the home garden, with blooms in shades of blue, purple, pink, red, coral, white, and yellow. I’m currently on the hunt for the yellow-flowering passion flower (P. lutea). Here are a few of my favorites, all of which are fast-growing, vigorous, evergreen in my region, and can reach up to 30 feet tall or wide:
Passiflora ‘Lavender Lady’
This plant bears relatively simple, dusky lavender flowers up to 4 inches wide with deep purple filaments in the center.
Blue Passion Flower (P. caerulea)
A unique variety, this vine has stunningly ornate blooms, with ruffled outer petals and sepals surrounding a complex center ring of blue, white, and purple.
‘Coral Glow’ Passion Flower (P. ‘Coral Glow’)
The 5-inch-wide blooms of this variety are relatively simple yet absolutely gorgeous. Hot pink–coral pointed petals radiate out from a small purple ring that surrounds the central filaments.
