Common Name: passion flower
Type: Vine
Family: Passifloraceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 6.00 to 8.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: Violet
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Attracts: Butterflies
Fruit: Showy, Edible
Tolerate: Drought
Culture
Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of drought. Winter hardy to around zero degrees Fahrenheit, so it must be planted in a protected spot and given a thick, winter mulch when grown in the St. Louis area. Vine will die to the ground in winter.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Passiflora is a genus of over 400 species of vines primarily found in tropical areas. They are grown for their strikingly beautiful flowers.
Genus name comes from the Latin words passio meaning passion and flos meaning a flower for the flower's symbolism of the crucifixion of Christ.
'Violet Ray' a rapid growing, tendril-climbing, deciduous vine with three-lobed, dark green leaves and complex, round, showy, 5" diameter flowers having violet petals and sepals. Flowers are slightly fragrant and attractive to butterflies. Edible, fleshy, egg-shaped fruit appears in July, matures to a yellowish-green color and then falls to the ground.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
'Violet Ray' is only reliably winter hardy to USDA Zone 6 where it still needs a sheltered location and winter protection.
Uses
May be used on trellises, arbors, walls or fences. Effective around sheds and as a greenhouse plant. The unique flower, dark green foliage and showy fruit make this vine an extremely interesting plant for a sheltered location in the garden.