Family: Passifloraceae
Scientific name: Passiflora macrophylla
Common name: Tree passion flower
Origin: Ecuador

The tree passion flower is one of the few passionflowers that grows as a tree instead of a climber. In nature this tree can reach a height of 3 to 6 metres with an umbrella shaped tree crown and 1 metre long leaves! It is a very rare species from the lowland rainforests of Ecuador and western Colombia. The plant barely branches out and flowers grow directly on the trunk. These flowers have white-green petals and a bright yellow centre. After cross pollination passion fruits of about 5cm can develop. Because of its tropical origin, this plant needs a growing place of at least 15 degrees Celcius and a high humidity. So when grown in a non-tropical area, this plant can best be grown indoors and sprayed with water regularly. A rare sight, especially in cultivation.

Sowing description: Soak seeds for 24 hours in orange juice and sow in sowing mix. Keep soil continously moistened and cover with plastic or glass to trap the heat and moist. Place container in a light place with a temperature of 25 - 30 degrees celcius. Germination can take a few weeks up to a couple of months.

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Challenge
Minimum temperature: 12 degrees Celsius

Foto 1: C.T. Johansson (CCA-3.0 Wikipedia)
Foto 2: F. Palli (CCA-3.0 Wikipedia)
Foto 3: André Cardoso via Flickr