Passionflower is one of the most attractive tropical plants. From the moment it was discovered by Europeans, it has become a regular guest of all kinds of botanical gardens, greenhouses and flower beds.
Ease of cultivation and relative unpretentiousness, combined with a large number of beautiful flowers, make this exotic species very popular among flower growers.
The homeland of the plant is South America, in addition, several species of passionflower can be found in the Hawaiian Islands and Madagascar. At home, passionflower is grown all over the world.
Content:
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Introduction
The name of the plant comes from the Latin phrase "flower of suffering" and has a religious origin. So he was called by the first missionaries who got to South America; in the beauty of flowers they saw a symbol of the suffering of Christ.
Other names for the plant are passion flower or cavalier star. Accordingly, the family to which the passionflowers belong began to be called the Passionflower family.
Passiflora flower
In total, there are about five hundred species in the family., the vast majority of which grows wild in Latin America - Brazil, Chile and Peru. In its natural habitat, the plant has been cultivated, so the leaves and fruits of many species are used in local cuisine and traditional medicine.
Most of these plants are known by the name of its edible fruit - passion fruit.. In some sources, they are also called "granadilla" for the similarity of the passion flower fruit with pomegranate fruits. Thus, the passion flower is a plant that has many synonymous names.
passion fruit
Passionflower is difficult to confuse with any other plant due to the original shape of its flower. Flowers are distinguished by a long flowering time and a characteristic shape of both outer and inner petals.
Some types of passionflower are able to bloom and bear fruit year-round under natural conditions. It is quite possible to obtain similar results not only in natural conditions, but also at home. The main factor when growing a plant outside of natural conditions is only one factor - temperature.
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Passiflora flower at home
As a plant, passionflower is a shrub or herbaceous plant capable of clinging to supports, reaching a height of several meters. Most passionflowers are perennial evergreens, but there are several dozen annual species.
The stems of perennial plants harden and woody over time. The leaves of most passion flowers are oval or egg-shaped with a pointed end. Often there are tripartite leaves resembling bird paw prints.
In rare cases, the leaves are also five-lobed. The size of the leaves, depending on the species, can reach up to 25 cm. Dark green color prevails, but there are also light green and multi-colored leaves.
Trilobed passionflower leaf
Flowers are the main decoration of the plant. They are usually large, and there are a lot of them on one bush. They are formed in the axils of the leaves, and with a favorable set of circumstances, two flowers will be formed in each axil.
- 4 to 15 cm in diameter
- however, most have a diameter on the order of 10 cm.
The shape of the flowers is star-shaped, they consist of an equal number (most often 5) of petals and sepals.. Inside the flower there are many bracts framing 5 stamens and one pistil with three stigmas.
Such a structure is characteristic of all types of passion flowers, and its elements in all species practically do not change outwardly. In some cases, the number of petals may be different, but their shape and arrangement remain unchanged.
Passion flower structure
The growth rate of this vine is quite high, there are species that can bloom in the first year after planting. However, in most species, the situation with flowering is less rosy: with vegetative propagation, flowering begins at 2-3 years, when planted with seeds - after 5-7 years.
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Conditions of detention
Location in the house and temperature
Basically, passionflower is grown as an ampelous plant. In conditions of apartment breeding, the plant requires a lot of light. Therefore, it would be best to place it on a window facing the south side of the house.
Since Passiflora is a vine, it is necessary to provide supports so that the plant can grow upwards. It is highly undesirable to direct its growth along the “lower” level, since in this case the number of leaf axils formed (and flowers along with them) will be extremely small.
plant in the open field
The temperature for keeping a plant is one of the most important conditions for growing it. You can water and feed the plant relatively haphazardly, you can place it in the shade, you can not trim it, and so on, but the temperature regime must be strictly observed.
This is due to two important aspects:
The temperature in summer for the normal growth of the passion flower should be in the range of + 18-24 ° C. During this period, a drop in temperature to +15°C or its excess above +25°C leads to a significant slowdown in plant growth and wilting of part of its leaves.
If you go beyond these values even more (below + 10 ° C or above + 30 ° C), then in most cases the plant cannot be saved.
Passiflora home
In winter, the "temperature corridor" can drop by about 5-8 ° C, that is, the comfortable temperature for the plant will be in the range from + 12 ° C to + 18 ° C.
The plant does not like drafts, as well as daily temperature changes. In the summer, it is recommended to take it out into the open air, but it should be remembered that the difference between day and night temperatures should not exceed 5-8 ° C.
Soil and containers
The plant needs a small pot, the size of which, as a rule, does not change throughout the life of the flower.
You should not use a large container, since the growth cycle of passionflower occurs according to a very simple algorithm: first the roots, then the leaves corresponding to these roots in the first few axils, and only at the end the further growth of the stems upwards and the formation of flowers and fruits.
A large pot can significantly delay the moment of meeting with the first flower of passionflower. Ceramic pots with a volume of 1.5 to 2.5 liters will be optimal.
At the bottom of the pot is a drainage about 1.5-2 cm high.
It is also advisable to use trays for pots, as watering the plant will be plentiful.
The soil for the plant can be anything, however, slightly acidic or neutral is more preferable. Its composition is standard for most tropical plants;
- sod land
- leaf ground
- peat
- sand
You can also use purchased soil for succulents, violets etc. The use of soil compounds like soil for orchids in this case is not recommended. Creepers, unlike orchids, have a slightly different nutrition system.
The plant resists fungal infections well, so no special soil treatment is required. It is enough just to disinfect it from insects with a 0.2% solution of potassium permanganate.
Air humidity
Humidity when growing passionflower should be high. It is necessary to regularly spray the plant with water from a spray bottle with water. You can place the plant near water sources (for example, in the kitchen, or near the aquarium), or use artificial humidifiers.
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The plant itself is quite unpretentious, and if you observe the temperature regime that is so important for it, it can adapt to almost any conditions of detention.
Passion Flower (Passion Flower)
However, flower growers do not aim to force him to survive. We need to get beautiful shoots and flowers, and if we're really lucky, then fruits. Consider the various aspects of caring for passionflower in more detail.
Compliance with seasonality
The active life of passionflower runs from April to October. At this time, the plant grows profusely and requires careful care. Watering, fertilizing and the formation of its above-ground part should be done regularly and correctly. The temperature at this time should correspond to "summer".
Starting in November, it is necessary to significantly reduce the watering of the plant and completely abandon its top dressing. All operations related to adjusting the appearance of the plant and its transplantation must be carried out in early spring.
There should not be any “disturbing” procedures for the plant in winter. And, of course, the temperature in winter should also be “winter”. In addition, it is recommended to bring the plant to a more shaded room.
The continued existence of passionflower in winter in the "summer" temperature regime will lead to the fact that by December most of the leaves will wrinkle and begin to fall off., and in a month the plant may die.
Passiflora "Indigo"
This applies to most species of passionflower, however, there are varieties that can grow and bloom all year round. (for example, banana passionflower). Therefore, acquiring plants, it is necessary to know exactly its features of cultivation.
The plant itself will say about the beginning of the active period in life: in late March-early April, the active growth cone begins to grow at the passion flower. This is a signal for the beginning of spring work with the plant (pruning, transplanting), as well as for transferring it to a warmer temperature.
Watering plants and water procedures
It is carried out as needed, while the soil must be constantly moist. The plant is watered with plenty of water until the soil is completely moistened and water appears in the pan.
After 10-20 minutes after watering, it is necessary to drain the water from the pan and, if it accumulates in it again, empty it again.
Soil leaching is best avoided, so you need to use either boiled or settled water at room temperature.
Design option for passionflower supports
Passiflora needs to be sprayed daily.It is carried out in the evening, while boiled or settled water is also used, but with a temperature of 2-3 ° C higher than the air temperature. In this case, you should not spray water on flowers - only on leaves and stems.
Once a week, passionflower is sprinkled - watering the plant from a shower that simulates tropical rain. You can use either a watering can with warm water, or you can take the plant into the bath and use the shower.
The latter is not always feasible, especially if you manage to grow a vine more than 1.5 meters high, especially if it “sits” on supports with high quality. Therefore, sprinkling is a recommended procedure, but not at all mandatory.
top dressing
The start of fertilization for passionflower is made a month before its “awakening”, that is, in February-March. Top dressing ends "mirror", that is, a month before the start of the dormant season - in September-October.
The frequency of top dressing is 15 days. Fertilizers are applied after watering.
The plant needs three main components:
- nitrogen
- phosphorus and calcium
they are all entered at the same time
For these purposes, any complex fertilizer for flowers is suitable.
The approximate ratio of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus is 2 to 4 to 1. It is necessary to select fertilizer in such a way that this proportion is observed.
It is recommended to make foliar feeding of the plant once every 1.5 months. This can be done using the same spray gun that sprays. The composition of fertilizers is chosen the same, but they are applied not through the root system, but through the stems and leaves. Naturally, you should avoid getting fertilizer on the flowers.
Top dressing during dormancy and within a month after transplantation and pruning are not applied.
Transplant and pruning
On average, once every 2-3 years, the plant needs to renew the soil, for which it is transplanted into a soil mixture of a new composition. In this case, the transplantation procedure is almost always combined with the trimming procedure. Exceptions are young plants, since passionflowers under four years old are not pruned.
This procedure is carried out in early spring, approximately 3-4 days after the plant switches to the "summer" mode. Pruning is done immediately before transplanting - thanks to this, it is much easier.
Passiflora Blue (Graceful)
In passionflower, flowers form on new shoots, therefore, the shoots of previous years must either be cut off completely or shortened. Usually, last year's shoots are shortened by a third, two-year-olds by half, three-year-olds by 3/4, and later ones are cut off entirely, or to the beginning of the woody part.
If no new shoots form on them, they are completely removed.. After that, passionflower is transplanted, carried out by transshipment.
In the middle of summer, another pruning is performed - young shoots are cut off at the base of the plant.
The last pruning of the season is done at the end of flowering: if you are not going to get fruit, all the shoots that had flowers are cut to 3/4 of the length. Those on which there were no flowers are removed completely.
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Plant propagation
It is carried out both by seed and vegetatively. The seed method is quite simple, however, it is rarely used, since the germination of even freshly harvested seeds does not exceed 30%. But this is not the main problem: the seed-grown passion flower begins to bloom at the age of 5-7, which does not suit many.
plant cuttings
That is why the vegetative method of reproduction prevails, mainly carried out with the help of cuttings. Any shoot with two pairs of leaves and a growth point can act as a cutting.
It is placed in peat soil or simply in a container of water, where it takes three weeks to develop roots. The main requirement for the formation of roots at the cutting is moist soil and a temperature of at least + 21 ° C.
After rooting, the cutting is transplanted into a pot for an adult plant with soil of the previously described composition.
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Edible
Passiflora flower and passionfruit fruit
The plant is an evergreen vine, 8 to 12 meters long, with dark green foliage. The leaves have an interesting feature: they either grow in groups of three, or have the shape of a fork, as if fused from three leaves. The length of the leaves is up to 20 cm, their edges are in most cases serrated.
Usually, one flower appears on the vine in each deciduous sinus. It has a diameter of up to 7 cm, and consists of 5 petals and 5 cups. In the center of the flower are 5 stamens and one branched pistil. Almost all varieties of edible passionflower are capable of self-pollination.
Most of this plant is known under a different name - passion fruit. Its fruits are a variety of large berries, the so-called. "pepo". This type includes the fruits of watermelon, cucumber, melon and so on.
The fruit with a diameter of 6-7 cm, having a relatively hard shell, contains up to 250 small berries, approximately 0.5 to 1.2 cm in diameter. The shell itself resembles a pomegranate peel, only it has a different color.
There are varieties of passion fruit that can exist even in climates other than tropical. For about a hundred years, passion fruit has been cultivated in the open field in the UK.
blue
Passiflora Blue, Passion Flower
A variety of passionflower, which has conditionally edible fruits, however, is highly unpretentious. Another name is the Clock flower, since the number of petals and cups in the flowering part of the plant is 6.
From a distance, the flower looks like a clock face. The flower itself is quite large - about 10 cm in diameter. Flowering lasts all summer.
The plant reaches 10 m in length. Evenly throughout the stem are large leaves (up to 20 cm in length) with petioles. The length of the petioles can reach 2/3 of the leaf size. The fruits ripen within a month after flowering. They are slightly elongated seedlings with a diameter of about 6 cm. Outside they are yellow, inside they are filled with red berries.
The plant is hardy and cold hardy.. At home, it takes root well and bears fruit. Can be grown outdoors in Southern areas.
Banana
Passion Fruit Banana
Another name for the plant is the softest passion flower.. A more compact plant than previously discussed. The length of this vine is 5-6 meters. In its natural form, it grows mainly in the north of Latin America. The fruits have an elongated shape resembling a banana.
Flowers for passion flowers are relatively small, up to 7 cm in diameter, pink. Fruits up to 12 cm long and 4 cm in diameter, their weight exceeds 150 g. The plant is a kind of champion in fruiting: under certain conditions, it can bear fruit all year round. During this time, up to 300 fruits are removed from one vine.
The optimum temperature for the plant is the range from +15°С to +20°С. At temperatures above +25°C, bud development does not occur, and above +30°C the plant dies. On the other hand, the liana perfectly tolerates even frosts down to -2 ° C and in the southern regions it can even be grown in open ground.
The plant is very unpretentious. Seeds remain viable for several years. Seeds of the year of harvest germinate in 10-20 days, more of later years - about 2-3 times longer, but the percentage of germination remains high.
At home, about 30% of plants bloom in the first year of life; the rest are on the second. Perfectly propagated by cuttings, which take root even in ordinary water.
Laurel
Passiflora Laurifolia
Representative of the "southern" passion flowers, originally from Brazil. A distinctive feature is the pointed oval-shaped leaves, reminiscent of a laurel leaf. The leaves are glossy, with a clear vein structure. Their length can reach 20 cm.
Like many other passion flowers, it has edible fruits, however, their size is small - it is rare to find fruits larger than 7 cm in diameter. Their taste qualities lose a little to edible passionflower and similar species.
However, their juice and decoction are often used for medicinal purposes. In particular, they have anthelmintic and sedative properties. In large quantities, the juice is used as a sleeping pill.
Seed germination, like the entire life cycle of a plant, is strongly dependent on temperature. Seeds germinate normally only at temperatures close to +25°C. At this temperature, sprouts from seeds hatch 10-15 days after planting.
With a decrease in temperature by 1-2 ° C, the timing of seed germination increases significantly. When it is lowered to + 21 ° C, the seeds will sprout only after 2-3 months, or even not germinate at all.
Feels good at home, however, requires constant temperature control. When it drops to + 15 ° C, the plant may die.
meat red
apricot liana flower
She is an apricot vine. Despite the name, it has many colors, which are dominated by purple hues. Plant height reaches 6 meters. The flowers have a diameter of up to 8 cm. The fruits are yellow or orange in color, slightly sour in taste.
Growing conditions are the same as for bay leaves, although the temperature regime for adult plants is less critical. Plants normally tolerate cold snaps up to + 5 ° С.
The species has many useful properties used in medicine, both official and folk. The leaves and stems are used to make teas and infusions. The main application is the treatment of neuroses, irritations and burns.
graceful
Passionflower graceful
An annual vine with a thin stem capable of braiding any supports. Has a high growth rate. Braiding supports or walls, it is able to rise to a height of 2 m. The leaves are three-, less often five-lobed, elongated and narrow.
The flowers of the plant are small, up to 4 cm in diameter. Their number is relatively small compared to other passion flowers. The color of the petals can vary from white to light green.
Flowering begins in June and lasts until mid-August. Fruits appear about 1.5 months after the end of flowering. They are bright pink or bright red. Unlike other species, the fruits are drier and firmer.
It loves sunlight very much, grows poorly in the shade. When growing, it is desirable to use supports with a large number of transverse rails. Fertilization is carried out only during the flowering period.
Three-stripe
Passiflora leaves tristripe
In this species, the leaves are more decorative than the flowers. The flowers of this type of passion flower are small and relatively inconspicuous. They are relatively difficult to detect on the plant, despite the fact that the flowering period lasts from May to November.
It is grown at home mainly to obtain dense thickets from the leaves of the original coloring. "Rays" on the leaves, the plants look almost fused, which makes the leaf look like the paw of a waterfowl.
Their color is dark or light green, however, their cores are distinguished by a torn mottled or silvery pattern, the shade of which can be different even on the same plant.
The color of the middle part of the leaf depends on the conditions of the plant, and sometimes even the different degree of illumination of each leaf separately plays a role. The most popular purple coloring, which is obtained by placing the plant in its natural conditions.
In the wild, the plant mainly grows in partial shade. With an increase in the amount of light, the color of the “middles” first becomes silvery or light green, and then turns white. Direct sunlight, as well as staying in the light for more than 3 hours a day, is contraindicated for the plant.Therefore, it is advisable to keep him at the east or west window.
The temperature regime is important for the plant, because when the temperature drops to + 15 ° C, the plant stops its growth and the formation of new leaves. When the temperature drops to + 10 ° C, it sheds leaves and dies.
Temperature also has an effect on leaf color. When the plant is kept at the lower limit of the permissible temperature (about + 16-18 ° C), they become darker. In the case of its increase - light.
This species requires annual application of nitrogenous fertilizers and frequent watering, otherwise the leaves will be modest in size and their number will be small.
tetrahedral
Tetrahedral (Passiflora Quadrangularis)
It is the largest species of passion flowers, reaching a length of up to 20 m in natural conditions. Its flowers also have the largest size - more than 15 cm in diameter, and the size of the fruit is simply impressive: they are up to 30 cm long and 5-6 in diameter.
True, making such a beauty bloom at home is very problematic. The greenhouse is best suited for obtaining flowers and fruits of this plant.
Otherwise, this is a wonderful plant, ideal for braiding vertical surfaces at home. It has the highest growth rates and a large amount of green mass.
Requires regular application of nitrogenous fertilizers and constant plentiful watering. To stimulate flowering, potash fertilizers are used, which must be applied weekly from March to May.
Passiflora and ever flowering begonias
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