Passiflora membranacea

This is one of my favorite passion flowers. The bracts are the showy element on this Passiflora. They are reddish purple, round & about 2” across. The actual flowers are pale green, bell-shaped & hang down between the bracts & look cute peeking out. The bracts are so cool looking hanging all in a row down a stem, like Christmas ornaments hung in a row. Blooms June through September & attracts hummingbirds. But even when it’s not in bloom the foliage is really fantastic. The leaves are round disks – olive green on top purple underneath. Supposedly if you restrict the roots it will encourage the vine to produce fruit. A rare passion flower that originates from the cloud forests of Mexico. It does get to be big. I’ve seen it grow to the top of 40’ trees in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Grows best in moderate climates. Don’t grow near natural open spaces as this passion flower may have the potential to escape. Please note: For best results, grow on for an extra season in a 5 gallon pot before planting in the ground and keep the plant consistently moist, but not soggy!!