Passiflora caerulea 'Constance Eliott'

?Constance Elliott, is an exquisite white selection of the classic Passiflora caerulea, Hardy Passionflower. Summer blooms are fragrant and followed by edible fruit in fall (best in recipes).

This is a white flowered form of the hardy blue passion flower. P. caerulea is hardy for us in the Lower Mainland, especially against a south facing wall or fence. Plant in well-drained soil that is not too moist or too rich to promote more flowers and less greenery. Edible, but not the most tasty, yellow fruit are produced if pollinators visit. Trick them into visiting, and create a nice plant combination, by growing up an irresistable Buddleia.

With all the somewhat wild, unearthly blooms on Passion Vines (many which look like they were picked up during travels of the Starship Enterprise in outer space) there's something wonderfully fresh and pure about all white 'Constance Elliott'. Beautiful FRAGRANT white blooms on a vine that makes rapid annual growth, which means that it doesn't climb onto your brickwork and eat out the mortar! Blooming from mid- to late summer and often producing egg-size orange-yellow passion fruits. They can be left on for decoration although they are edible, but are probably an acquired taste! Host plant for the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly.

Bred in the 1800's, but still charming by today's standards, 'Constance' is also a very tough & hardy Passiflora. She can leap chain link fences in a single bound! Blooming profusely through most of the warm months here by the Bay, she's also hardy enough for you zone 6'ers. Yipes! Blooms are pure white & crowned with a halo of white filaments – all the better to appreciate the flower's amazing form. Like Passiflora caerulea proper, this plant can almost be described as being drought tolerant once it has been established. Certainly, many folks can get away with watering so infrequently that some would cry neglect. The plants do look much happier if you offer them up a semi-regular drink, though. Great for providing a quick screen for privacy, cover for an unsightly fence or food for ravenous butterflies! Grows to 30' & tolerates most soils. Somewhat Drought Tolerant.