Blue passionflower is a vining, herbaceous perennial or perennial in the passion vine family (Passifloraceae). It is native to parts of South America and is the national flower of Paraguay. The genus name, Passiflora, relates to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In the 15th to 16th century, Roman Catholic priests in Latin America used parts of the flower to symbolize the Passion of Christ. The species epithet, caerulea, means “blue.” It grows well in partial shade to full sun in moist soil with good drainage. Blue passionflower adapts to clay, loam or sandy soils and is not particular about soil pH. It likes high humidity. It grows 3 to 6 feet wide and reaches 10 feet to 40 feet tall and may be pruned after flowering to reduce the plant’s size. When pruning, cut back the year's growth by one-half. Deadhead the flowers regularly. The plant may be propagated by seed or stem cutting. Blue passionflower has showy blue and white flowers and orange fruits.The unusual saucer-shaped flowers on long stems typically appear from early summer to early fall. The fruits appear late summer through the fall and start green then ripen to yellow and deep orange. It is evergreen in warm winter climates and deciduous in temperate climates. It is a good choice for arbors, containers, cottage gardens, trellises, walls and fences. The tendrils cling to trellis, arbors or fences, but will not damage surfaces. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the beautiful flowers. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Fungal diseases are possible if the plant doesn’t have good air circulation. The roots may also develop fungal diseases if an excessive amount of top growth is removed all at once.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Entire; Lobed
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves are shiny, hairless, green, alternate, and simple in type. They have smooth margins. They are 4 to 6 inches wide, palmately lobed, and the lobes are oblong. They are typically 5 lobed leaves, but some leaves may be 3, 7, or 9 lobed. A twining tendril is at the base of each leaf, and each tendril is approximately 2 inches to 4 inches long.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The flowers bloom on long stalks. They are solitary, sometimes fragrant, and measure 2.5 to 3 inches wide. The flower is saucer-shaped with 10 tepals that have rounded tips. The tepals are white to whitish-pink on the inner side and greenish on the outer side. There is a circle of blue filaments in the middle of the flower. The filament is blue on the outer half, white in the middle, and dark purple-black at the base. In the center are the 3 styles which are purple, and the 5 stamens are greenish-yellow. They bloom early summer to early fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Green; Orange
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The fruit, while edible, tastes bland. The plant produces egg-shaped green fruits which when ripened, turn yellow to a deep orange color from late summer to fall. The fruits measure approximately 2.5 x 1.5 inches and are partly hollow. Inside the fruit, there is a small amount of deep red colored pulp surrounded by a large number of seeds. To gather seeds, allow the pods to dry on the plant. Break open pods to collect the seeds. The seeds are 4mm long and silvery brown in color. Sow seeds outdoors in the fall. During the winter, sow seeds in a cold frame or unheated greenhouses.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
The stems are green and brown, hairless, and have coiling green tendrils.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Bolivia to Brazil and N. Argentina
Wildlife value
Host plant to butterflies. Pollinators attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Pome
Edibility
Plant parts used as a stress-relieving tea. The fruit, while edible, tastes bland.