The purple passion plant or Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa is one of those Instagram plants you see around all the time in pictures and never really know what they’re called unless you are in the know with these types of plants.
Best Growing Conditions
Passion plants are tropical plants native to Central and South America. They thrive in warm, humid climates that have lots of indirect light. The more light and heat you give them, the better they’ll grow. They need a lot of water (almost daily) and rich soil that drains well. A good tip for watering is to make sure the top inch of your potting mix is moist before adding more.
It may be difficult to gauge whether or not the passion flower needs water based on just looking at it so you can place your hand near its leaves. If it feels cool, then it needs more water. You may also notice that its leaves turn brown if they’re not receiving enough sunlight or humidity.
For best results, try placing it near an open window with plenty of indirect light during the winter months as long as temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside (10-15 degrees Celsius). In the summer months when temperatures stay below 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside (32-35 degrees Celsius), try placing it near a fan or an air conditioning unit.
When and Where to Plant?
Passion plants like most other tropical plants need warmth and lots of moisture. The plant can be grown in a container or in-ground as long as it has adequate drainage. If planting in-ground, prepare the soil by mixing in compost, manure, and peat moss.
Passion flowers are heavy feeders so they will need fertilizing once a month with an organic fertilizer. It is also beneficial to use a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote or Miracid. To keep your passion flower healthy, water the plant thoroughly when it needs water – don’t overwater!
Types of Soil
Different kinds of soil work better for different plants. If you are planting a purple passion plant, make sure your soil is moist, but not too wet. The most common type of soil for a purple passion plant is an all-purpose potting mix. This helps ensure that the roots will grow and stay healthy in your pot or garden bed. Your water should be lukewarm (between 65°F – 75°F) so it won’t shock the roots when poured on them from cold tap water.
Make sure your irrigation system has a timer so that it waters evenly throughout the day and night because some plants can only survive if they get watered once every other day while others need daily watering to thrive.
Watering Considerations
It is important to remember that this is a tropical plant and it needs ample water. Be sure not to let its pot dry out. You want to keep it moist at all times, but not soggy wet. It is best if you can water it with a hose or watering can in addition to giving it a drink of water from your finger or sink faucet every day. Just be sure not to overwater it and allow the soil to dry before you give it another drink.
If you notice mold forming on the surface of the soil, it’s probably because you’ve been over-watering and don’t have enough drainage. If this happens, just scoop off some of the top layers of soil (about 1 inch), replace them with fresh potting mix, and try again. If you still notice mold forming after two weeks, chances are good that your purple passion plant doesn’t like where it lives now. Find a new home for it where it will get more sunlight or humidity, like in a greenhouse!
How Much Water Should I Give My Plants?
Passion plants, like most succulents, do not require a lot of water. They should be watered only when the soil is completely dry. To ensure your plant stays happy and healthy, try placing it in an area where it will receive plenty of sunlight.
This way, your passion plant can thrive without much maintenance from you. With that said, watering your plant too often could lead to yellowing leaves or leaf loss. In extreme cases, this condition may lead to death.
In addition to giving it plenty of sunlight, proper care for your purple passion plant also includes fertilizing with a weak solution once every few months (or as needed) and pruning dead leaves back by half their length about once every 3 months.
Fertilizing Your Plants
Before you fertilize your plants, make sure that you are using a balanced fertilizer. You can purchase this at any plant store and it will typically come with a feeding schedule for your type of plant. If you need help determining what type of fertilizer is best for your plants, simply go to the nursery section and ask an employee.
Plants need three types of nutrients in order to thrive: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are found in most fertilizers but some have a higher ratio than others. Make sure that you know what each ratio means before purchasing so that you don’t accidentally over or under-fertilize your plants.
To feed your plant, follow these steps
1. Fill up a watering can with water from the tap. Tap water contains chlorine which kills off any helpful bacteria in your soil. By filling up a watering can, you are ensuring that there is no chlorine in the water you pour into your plants.
2. Next, add 1/2 teaspoon of fertilizer to the container and mix it into the water until all clumps have dissolved into solution form (think shaken not stirred). Add more if necessary depending on how big your plant is it should take about one cup per six inches tall per year old (in years) of growth to ensure that they’re getting enough nutrients while they’re growing.
Once you’ve added the desired amount of fertilizer, fill up the watering can with clean water and wait 15 minutes to let it sit before use. Now, when you go back outside after waiting those fifteen minutes, take note of what kind of soil your plants have been planted in as well as their general condition.
Most likely they’ll be fine because only healthy plants need fertilizing every week but unhealthy plants will show signs such as wilted leaves or yellowing leaves. That being said, if your plant shows signs that indicate that it needs nutrients then continue to do this weekly throughout its life span. It’s important to remember that fertilizing plants too often can actually cause them harm.
Pests and Diseases Affecting your Plants
Insects and arachnids can be a problem for plants in your garden. So, it is important to know what they are and how to prevent them from harming your plants. There are many types of insects that feed on plants, some can cause extensive damage. The following is a list of bugs and their common names: aphids, ants, beetles, caterpillars, chiggers, flies (including mosquitoes), leafhoppers, mites (including spider mites), thrips, and ticks.
Bacteria and fungi can also affect plant growth so it is important to know about them too. Some bacteria such as Xanthomonas campestris cause wilting of plants due to water uptake by infected tissues. Others like Erwinia carotovora produce soft rot symptoms or pathogens such as Pseudomonas syringae produce dark-brown lesions with sunken centers on foliage, which may lead to leaf scorch or defoliation if left untreated.
Fungal infections such as Botrytis cinerea are often observed after prolonged periods of wetness or when wounds have occurred. They show up as grayish brown spots and dark-colored fungal masses at stem joints or flower pedicels with fruiting bodies commonly called mushrooms arising from the infected areas. Fungi invade leaves and stem through wounds, cracks in plant tissue, and insect punctures.
Passionflower flowers come in a range of colors including yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple. The purple passionflower can grow anywhere from 10-24 inches tall depending on its environment but will not get taller than 30 inches because of this limit.
Unlike most other flowering plants that die off during winter months and go dormant during colder times to conserve resources, the purple passionflower remains evergreen year-round even through frigid cold spells because it stores food reserves below ground level where temperatures remain warmer year-round.
You can propagate purple passionflowers by cutting one stem at a time and putting it into potting soil; then cover it with soil and let it sit for 2-3 weeks before watering. You will see new shoots appearing within 4 weeks’ time. Once it grows 6 inches high, you should cut back the shoot tips and place them in a different pot. You can continue to do this until you have enough starts to put out and start selling them.
To keep it attractive, prune regularly to remove older sections of the plant that are not producing blooms. When planting, put in full sun and moist conditions. Be sure to fertilize monthly during the growing season and prune old woody branches every few years to stimulate more new growth.
General Care Tips
Purple passion plants are easy houseplants and can do well indoors. They need a lot of light, and soil that is kept moist, but not wet. The plant should be fertilized during the growing season with high nitrogen fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro or Peters 20-20-20 for flowering plants. When watering, it is best to keep your water tepid and avoid using cold water because this can shock the roots.
Use room temperature water instead. The purple passion flower is considered an herbaceous perennial, so you may have luck transplanting them outside in the summer months if you live in a warmer climate. In colder regions, purple passion flowers can overwinter by keeping them indoors and applying mulch around their base to protect them from frostbite.
If you want your purple passion plant to produce seeds then you will have to cross-pollinate with another variety of flowers in order for those seeds to grow into new plants. The most common way to cross-pollinate these flowers is by using a paintbrush or Q-tip by transferring pollen from one flower onto another nearby flower. You could also use some beeswax from honeybees to help bring the pollen over.
Once you’re done pollinating all of the flowers, cover up any unused ones with newspaper or mesh bags. You’ll know which ones worked because they’ll start producing fruit like long pods which contain the little green seeds inside. Remember: It’s important not to allow any of the petals on either side of a flower’s stamen to fall off before pollen has been transferred – too many petals falling off will reduce how many offspring are born!
Growth
Provide a small amount of water at least once a week. The soil should always be moist but not soggy. A good way to test this is by sticking your finger into the soil, if it feels wet, you are good to go. If it feels dry and crumbly, give it some water.
Fertilize at least once every other month with a balanced fertilizer diluted by half. Make sure not to fertilize too much because too much nitrogen will produce soft green leaves which won’t last long enough as cuttings. The leaves can also turn yellow or red if they don’t get enough sun and nutrients. Allow the plant to bask in the sunlight for about an hour during the day.
You can also use a grow light which would provide indirect light for about 12 hours per day. Direct sunlight is not recommended as it will fry your plant in no time!
Conclusion
Many people are attracted to this plant because of its color and its unique leaf shapes. The purple passion plant, or Passiflora Incarnata, is a perennial that thrives in zones 5-9. There is some debate over how long it takes for this plant to grow; some sources say two years while other sources say three years. We recommend waiting until your garden is at least four years old before adding this plant to your garden.
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Hi I’m Bilal Malik, a digital marketing and blogging expert holding years of experience.
