Common name purple granadilla
Botanical name Passiflora edulis
Plant Needs

• full sun
• average water needs
• evergreen
• must be pruned
• frost tender
• excellent climber for small gardens

Planting Tips
Granadilla climbers grow quickly and can be planted at any time of the year, although spring is best. Plant them in well-drained, compost-rich soil in a sheltered but hot and sunny spot. Give the plant plenty of water during flowering time (in early summer), or the flowers will drop and you’ll have little or even no fruit.

If you’d like fruit within 12 to 18 months, follow the advice of Anton Raux, a Somerset West exotic plant-grower, and cut back some of the stems – this will encourage the plant to produce side-shoots that will form flowers and eventually fruit.

Anton explains why people believe that granadilla plants only last for about six years: ‘Granadillas have a shallow root system. If grown in hot, sandy soil, the plant will get root rot caused by a virus, which can result in the plant’s demise after about five to six years. To increase the plant’s lifespan, cover its roots with a thick layer of compost in summer to keep the soil cool.’

Pruning Tips
Cut back the granadilla climber in spring; prune side stems back to about 40cm. If the plant becomes overgrown, you can thin it out. Also prune dead branches. If you want ripe granadillas before winter, don’t prune later than spring.

Text and image: Home