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Useful Temperate Plants

Passiflora actinia

Hook.

Passifloraceae

+ Synonyms

Passiflora paulensis Killip

Common Name: Passion Flower

Passiflora actinia
Passiflora actinia Passiflora actinia Passiflora actinia Passiflora actinia

General Information

Passiflora actinia is a fairly fast-growing, slender, wiry-stemmed, evergreen climbing shrub producing stems up to 10 metres long[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
]. These stems scramble over the ground, or clamber into the surrounding vegetation, supporting themselves by means of coiling tendrils.
The edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local consumption. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
1678
Title
Passifloraceae do Brasil. Estudo do gênero Passiflora L., subgênero Passiflora
Publication
Fontqueria 45 (1997)
Author
Cervi A.C.
Publisher
 
Year
1997
ISBN
0212-0623
Description
 

Range

S. America - southern and eastern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul to Espirito Santo).

Habitat

Mainly found in shady positions in forests, occasionally on the forest edges or in more shrubby formations[
1678
Title
Passifloraceae do Brasil. Estudo do gênero Passiflora L., subgênero Passiflora
Publication
Fontqueria 45 (1997)
Author
Cervi A.C.
Publisher
 
Year
1997
ISBN
0212-0623
Description
 
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitEvergreen Climber
Height10.00 m
Growth RateFast
PollinatorsBees
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics and subtropics, found at elevations from 350 metres and above. Plants can tolerate occasional temperatures as low as -5°c[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
].
Requires a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil and a position in dappled shade[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
]. Prefers a circumneutral soil, disliking very acid or very alkaline conditions[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
]. Passiflora species tend to flower and fruit more freely when grown in soils of only moderate fertility[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
When growing plants in regions near the limits of their cold tolerance, the top growth will usually be killed by winter cold. However, so long as the root is well mulched and is in a very well-drained soil, the plant will usually grow back from the base in the spring[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
].
The plant is very suitable for growing in pots in a conservatory or even in a south-facing window[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
].
Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants.
Plants require a temperature no lower than around 16°c when they are flowering in order to ensure fruit set[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
If fruit is required, specially when the plant is growing indoors, it is best to hand pollinate using pollen from a flower that has been open for 12 hours to pollinate a newly opened flower before midday[
88
Title
The Garden. Volume 112.
Publication
 
Author
RHS.
Publisher
Royal Horticultural Society
Year
1987
ISBN
-
Description
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The flowers open in sunny weather and do not open on dull cloudy days[
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].
Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant[
202
Title
Climbers and Wall Shrubs.
Publication
 
Author
Davis. B.
Publisher
Viking.
Year
1990
ISBN
0-670-82929-3
Description
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
]. A sweet flavour that is greatly appreciated[
1438
Title
Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
Publication
 
Author
Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
Publisher
 
Year
2014
ISBN
 
Description
A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
,
1678
Title
Passifloraceae do Brasil. Estudo do gênero Passiflora L., subgênero Passiflora
Publication
Fontqueria 45 (1997)
Author
Cervi A.C.
Publisher
 
Year
1997
ISBN
0212-0623
Description
 
]. The fruit has a very fragrant pulp[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
]. The yellow, ovoid to subglobose fruit is around 35 - 50mm in diameter[
1678
Title
Passifloraceae do Brasil. Estudo do gênero Passiflora L., subgênero Passiflora
Publication
Fontqueria 45 (1997)
Author
Cervi A.C.
Publisher
 
Year
1997
ISBN
0212-0623
Description
 
].

Medicinal

The leaves and roots of some, if not all, members of this genus contain a substance called 'passiflorina' which has similaritiesr to morphine and is an effective tranquilizer[
1677
Title
Dicionário das Plantas Úteis do Basil e das Exóticas Cultivadas Vol. 5
Publication
 
Author
Corrêa M. Pio & Penna L. de Azeredo
Publisher
Ministério da Agricultura; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1978
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in six volumes, first published in the 1920's and revised in the 1970's. Written in Portuguese.
]. We have no specific information for this species but many species are used in herbal infusions to calm the nerves and help bring about a restful sleep[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The leaves of many species are also considered to be anthelmintic, antihysteric and diaphoretic. They are used in Brazil to combat intermittent fevers, cutaneous inflammations, and erysipelas[
1677
Title
Dicionário das Plantas Úteis do Basil e das Exóticas Cultivadas Vol. 5
Publication
 
Author
Corrêa M. Pio & Penna L. de Azeredo
Publisher
Ministério da Agricultura; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1978
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in six volumes, first published in the 1920's and revised in the 1970's. Written in Portuguese.
].

Other Uses

This species can possibly be used as a rootstock for species such as Passiflora alata and Passiflora quadrangularis. It should confer greater hardiness and also have a dwarfing effect on the grafted plants[
262
Title
Passion Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Vanderplank. J.
Publisher
Cassell. London.
Year
1991
ISBN
0-304-34076-6
Description
An excellent book on passion flowers, giving information on hardy species and how to grow the less hardy in greenhouses etc. A bit lacking at times on specific information on hardyness. Excellent photographs.
].

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow late winter or early spring in a warm greenhouse. If sown in January and grown on fast it can flower and fruit in its first year[
88
Title
The Garden. Volume 112.
Publication
 
Author
RHS.
Publisher
Royal Horticultural Society
Year
1987
ISBN
-
Description
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
]. The seed germinates in 1 - 12 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. It you are intending to grow the plants outdoors, it is probably best to keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Mulch the roots well in late autumn to protect them from the cold.
Cuttings of young shoots, 15cm with a heel, in spring[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Leaf bud cuttings in spring.
Cuttings of fully mature wood in early summer. Takes 3 months. High percentage[
3
Title
Growing Unusual Fruit.
Publication
 
Author
Simmons. A. E.
Publisher
David & Charles; Newton Abbot.
Year
1972
ISBN
0-7153-5531-7
Description
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.
].
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Passiflora+actinia>

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