Passiflora Caerulea Blue Passion Flower

Passiflora Caerulea (the Blue Passion Flower sometimes also the Common Passion Flower) is a robust semi-evergreen climber with stunning large multi-coloured exotic flowers with whites, blues and purples, followed by edible fruits. This variety ahs been awarded an AGM.

Passiflora Caerulea (Blue Passion Flower) belongs to a large family of some 350 of evergreen or deciduous climber plants. They attached themselves to supports such as walls or trellises using their strong tendrils. Passion Flower is native to the tropical South America and as such many varieties won’t survive in our UK climate. Luckily there are several hardy varieties that will thrive here including Passiflora Caerulea.

Passiflora Caerulea has stood the test of time in the UK having been introduced in 1609 from its largely Argentinian origins. It has proven to be evergreen in much of the Southern UK. The lush foliage is deeply lobed and dark green. The striking blooms are large, exotic and fragrant. They emerge in early summer and continue right up until the autumn. The flower has white tepals and a multi-coloured corona – blue at the tips, white in the middle and purple at the base. Flowers are 8 to 10 cm in diameter. The flowers develop into soft yellow / red edible fruits in  autumn that can be up to 4 cm long.

This is a good choice where an attractive decorative climber is required ideally a warm, sunny wall in the Southern UK.  

Height and Spread of Passiflora Caerulea
A vigorous climber forming a dense blanket, Blue Passion Flower can reach 12 metres in height in 10 years with a spread of up to 4 metres.

How Hardy Is Passiflora Caerulea
Blue Passion Flower is hardy to -10 and should do well in the Southern UK. It needs a warm, sheltered spot and a southern aspect or west-facing aspect.  

How To Use Passiflora Caerulea
This is a beautiful Passion Flower climber that covers a fence or wall across the warmer months. It will grow well in fertile borders clinging to a trellis or wires.
Passion Flower is the perfect climber for training over an arbour or for growing into the boughs of a sturdy tree. Passion Flower climbers also work well as an evergreen screening climber for training up a wall or fence or through trellis, offering great privacy screening as the dense leaves usually stay all year round in sheltered spots. Make sure to plant your Passion Flower in a nice sunny spot where it will be sure to thrive.

How To Care For Passiflora Caerulea
Blue Passion Flower ideally needs full sun and prefers rich fertile soil. It does best in a sheltered spot.
When planting add plenty of well-rotted manure to the planting hole and mulch every spring with compost and organic matter. Water freely in hot spells.
See also the variety Passiflora Caerulea Clear Sky, another blue-flowering passion-flower climber.