Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Passiflora Mollimisa, 1 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
I grew a P. mollissima vine from seed for two years. The second year, it set many flower buds when we had an unusually cool two-week period. When the weather returned to normal, it dropped all of its flower buds. It then got a bad case of mealy bugs so I didn't keep it. It does need cool weather to bloom, and I don't think shade will make any difference in its blooming patterns if the temperatures are high. The only other ones that I know of that like cool weather to bloom are P. mixta and P. jamesonii "Coral Seas," but I'm sure there are others. I think the cool-weather passifloras are the Tacsonia type.

See this link: http://members.aol.com/pasiflora1/ for more information and this one: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1561/index.html

The clear plastic bag should help increase humidity, which in turn should help the rooted cutting revive. Some passifloras resent transplanting and wilt, but they often come back just fine. Additional misting with Superthrive might help also.

Below is a P. mollissima bud which eventually dropped.