MY PASSION--------a flower

Passion flowers are my favorite. We have "count them" TWO visitors having a feast.

The Legend. Legend has it that in 1620 a Jesuit priest in Peru came across the plant we now know as passion flower. Enthralled with its beauty, that night he had a vision likening its floral parts to the elements of the Crucifixion or Passion of Christ. The five petals and five sepals became the ten apostles (omitting Peter and Judas). The three pistils became the nails of the cross; the purple corona (or filaments) was the crown of thorns, and the stemmed ovary was the Lord's goblet.
The Plant. The passion vine (Passiflora) has travelled widely since then, and is considered a houseplant on the prairies. This climbing vine can grow very quickly under favorable conditions, reaching up to 6 m (20 ft). It is often trained around a hoop, on netting, or on a trellis, supporting itself with spiral-like tendrils.
The flowers are 7.6 cm (3 in.) in diameter, opening from flat oval buds and flowering from summer to early fall. The ten petals (actually five petals and five sepals) are usually white but may also be red or purple. In front of the petals are fine, colorful filaments that are purple at the base, white in the middle and blue at the tip. Five golden anthers and three brown stigmas are in the center.
The stems are wiry, dark green and angular, and the deeply divided leaves can be up to 10 cm (4 in )wide. Yellow or orange fruit up to 12.7 cm (5 in,) in diameter may develop under favorable growing conditions. The fruit is many-seeded, and some varieties are edible.
Care. The passion flower is best suited to a sunny room or greenhouse. Ideally, it should have 4 hours of bright, direct sunlight daily throughout the year. However, it may sun scorch in summer if placed too close to a south or west window. The plant may be summered outside.
In spite of its "passion" for bright light, it prefers temperatures on the cooler side (12.7-18.8C), especially in winter. It will tolerate slightly warmer temperatures in summer but is more likely to become infested with spider mites and may not have as attractive a shape. Cooler temperatures (10C) in winter will allow it a rest period.
Keep your passion vines evenly moist (but with good drainage) while actively growing. Beginning in late August, let them dry out a bit between waterings but never completely.
Fertilize every two weeks with 20-20-20 plus micro-nutrients from spring through fall while the plants are actively growing. Use a loam-based potting soil and keep it slightly pot-bound. Passion vines tend to flower more freely when confined.
Top dressing rather than repotting is sometimes advised. Repot every 2 years in late winter or early spring, allowing the plant to recuperate for a week in a cool shady area before putting it back in a sunny location.
Prune passion vines to within 15 cm (6 in.) of the soil or to 6 to 8 buds in early spring and a few weeks prior to repotting. This should encourage flowering on the new growth.
Varieties. The blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) is one of the best for growing indoors and is one of the most readily available. It blooms in April, with white petals and sepals and a ring of filaments that are purple, white and blue. Height may be up to 6 m (20 ft). It will flower when still young, even in a small pot. "Constance Elliot" is all white and blooms more freely.
The red passion flower (Passiflora coccinea) has deep orange to scarlet petals and filaments that are pale pink at the base, gradually becoming purple.
Passiflora x alato-caerula is only 1.8 m (6 ft) in height, free-blooming, has pink petals and a fringed corona of purple, white and blue. An added bonus is its fragrance.
Dispassionate Propagation. Passion flowers are usually propagated by stem cuttings taken in late spring or early summer. These should be 7.6-10 cm (3-4 in.) long and taken just below a leaf. Remove the next lower leaf and dip the end of the cutting in a rooting compound. Place in 7.6 cm (3 in.) pots in an evenly moist mixture of peat moss and coarse sand. Cover the entire pot with a plastic bag to retain humidity and put it in good but indirect light. The cuttings should root in three to four weeks. Seed is a more difficult method of propagation and the resulting flowering is more variable and less dependable.
Williams is a specialist in horticulture with the Extension Division. This column is offered as a service by the Extension Division and the Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan.