# Passiflora



## mccallen (Jul 28, 2009)

I just moved into a new studio on one of the cool, misty hills in San Francisco. It happens to be a really great place to grow Tasconia passionflowers.

The garden has a lot of beautiful vines, but my favorite is the _Passiflora parritae_ which I've only ever seen once elsewhere, in the Strybing Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park.

As far as I know, there was only one collection ever made from the wild. When they're open the flowers are very large and flat, when they're closed, the buds look like crazy squid-like balloons hanging from the trees.

_Passiflora parritae_






_Passiflora luzmarina_





_Passiflora antioquiensis_ with a bee.





I've planted up 20 seeds from the _Passiflora antioquiensis_ (the fruit was delicious) so maybe eventually I'll have some to share.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jul 28, 2009)

WOW! I've seen many Passiflora, but none like these! Incredible! I'd love to get a hold of these...


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## John M (Jul 28, 2009)

Absolutely spectacular! Thanks for posting these awesome photos!


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## SlipperFan (Jul 28, 2009)

Neat. They remind me a little of passion flowers.

Oops -- I guess they are!


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## mccallen (Jul 28, 2009)

I have many many seeds that I need to figure out something to do with 
I'd be happy to engage in a seed for seed trade!


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## paphioboy (Jul 28, 2009)

Very gorgeous blooms..  But I think they do better cool/intermediate. The only passiflora that does reasonably well in the lowlands is a blue one (P. caerulea I think)..


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## mccallen (Jul 28, 2009)

There's also really beautiful red, white and pink _Lapageria rosea_ and _Clematis_ in the yard, very vine-heavy.


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## nikv (Jul 29, 2009)

Very nice. Do you think any of these would do well in the East Bay?


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## goldenrose (Jul 29, 2009)

:clap: FABULOUS!!! Never seen anything like 'em! :clap:
Thanks for posting/sharing!


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## NYEric (Jul 29, 2009)

New side business! :wink:


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## cdub (Jul 29, 2009)

Next to orchids, I think the Passiflora have the most interesting floral morphology. Every part of the anatomy seems to be so exaggerated!


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## Elena (Jul 29, 2009)

Wow, these are gorgeous! The colour of Passiflora parritae really pops, I can see why it's a favourite.

Btw, can you share any tips especially for germinating the seeds? My OH really likes these plants and tried sowing some a few months ago but without much success.


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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Jul 29, 2009)

Lovely!
I grow Passiflora here in southern Ontario...but they have to come inside in the winter so it makes for lesser blooms in the summer I find. 
Thanks for sharing!


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## Yoyo_Jo (Jul 29, 2009)

Fantastic colors - I've never seen any of those species before. WOW! I grow the common Passion Flower, _Passiflora caerulea_, and have always thought _it_ was exotic. But man, compared to the ones posted here, it kind of pales...


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## mccallen (Jul 29, 2009)

Elena said:


> Btw, can you share any tips especially for germinating the seeds? My OH really likes these plants and tried sowing some a few months ago but without much success.



If you're growing from stored, dry seeds I would recommend soaking them for 24 hours prior to planting. I just use water, but some people recommend soaking the seeds in actual passionfruit juice.

Use a light germination mix and place the seeds under about 1/8 inch of soil. Keep it nice and moist, but well ventilated and see what happens.

Tasconias don't really like to have their roots disturbed, so if you have a lot of seeds (one fruit can have more than 100) it makes sense to plant five in a four inch pot and then just cull the weaker ones that germinate.

Also, the rate of germination can be variable and some seeds will start growing much later than others. So patience is good.

These type also like much cooler temperatures than some other passionflowers. They will drop their flowers and by very sad if the temperature gets over 90 F.


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## mccallen (Jul 29, 2009)

NYEric said:


> New side business! :wink:



Haha, yeah.

In a couple months I'll have a lot of _antioquiensis_ plants that should be suitable size for shipping and I've recently pollinated a number of_parritae_ flowers and made a _parritae_ x _antioquiensis_ cross.

Soon I'm looking to try _parritae_ x _luzmarina_ and possibly some crosses with heat tolerant species.


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## biothanasis (Jul 30, 2009)

The first is the most beautiful but all are great!!!!


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## mccallen (Aug 5, 2009)

A couple new hybrids opened in the garden yesterday;

P. racemosa x P. actinia








P. 'Pura Vida' blue form.


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## John M (Aug 19, 2009)

Wow, these are so beautiful too! I could REALLY get into Passifloras. I've got 'Incense' and quadrangularis already. This is a super cool family of plants!


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## rdhed (Aug 19, 2009)

Two of my orchid friends just had their's open this past week. I think they look so much like feathers. Great photos...thanks for posting.

--Allen--


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