PlantFiles: Red Banana Passion Flower, Passionflower, Passionfruit
Passiflora antioquiensis

This is a medium vigour passiflora that is stunning when in flower. It is not as vigourous as many of the more common passionflowers such as P. edulis but grows at a medium rate and likes to be in trees or on arbors or similar high places.

The flowers are - I am not making this up - 6" wide or more and they hang on peduncles that are over 8" long - the effect is awesome and really draws people in. When in flower it gives the impression of it raining down flowers.

The fruits are among the largest of the edible passionfruits and are delicious - one of the best for flavour. In areas where it is not rare (mainly in its native South America), it is a favourite for juice making due to its size, juiciness and superior flavour.

Like its close relative the amazingly beautiful Passiflora parritae, P. antioquiensis is very rare in the US because it is difficult to propogate from cutting and has a repuatation for being tempermental. It does like temperatures to be moderate. I have had real good luck with it in San Francisco and even the very warm San Diego where it is thriving in a north-facing position. In San Diego, have been able to propogate it to produce a limited number of plants each year but, true to its reputation, it is very hard to propogate conventionally through cuttings and such. I tried it once --- bad scene...