Tropicals & Tender Perennials: PASSIFLORA VITIFOLIA, 1 by RWhiz

RWhiz wrote:
Hmmmm. I honestly don't know. I've read where this is supposedly the hardiest of the red Passifloras. Mine does fine here in San Diego. I planted it out of a 5-gallon pot about 4 years ago or so and it is quite large now. I cut it back two years ago when I painted the house and it grew back quite fast. I also have planted with it a Thunbergia mysorensis because the Passiflora vitifolia gets leggy at the base. I have to cut both of them back quite frequently because they are strong growers. The P. vitifolia is just starting to set blooms again and the T. mysorensis has been blooming for the last month or two.

My suggestion--if you think you are in a borderline zone--plant them in the ground in the Spring somewhere on the sunny side of the house. Passiflora vitifolia can take a fair amount of heat in my experience. If you can get its root down far enough and get a fairly substantial size plant before next winter, you should have a good chance.

Actually, that's the way I do it with all my tropical vines. The Petrea volubilis that I posted earlier in the Vines and Climbers forum was started last year at this time. When it started growth, I gave it a lot of water and fertilized it a lot until fall. It's up against the sunny side of the garage and is doing fabulous.

I think you can fudge on some of these so-called limits if you plant them at the right time and in the right place.

-Ron-