Passiflora manicata

This is one of the most beautiful red passion flowers, with outstanding ornamental blooms of about 10 cm in diameter. It grows at higher elevations, in montane forests between 1500 and 2700 m elevation in the interandean valleys of Colombia and Ecuador. It seldom grows more than 3 m long stems. Passiflora manicata bears edible ovoid fruits of 4-6 cm in diameter. green-yellow when ripe, with nice flavour. It is grown mostly for its flowers but its tiny fruits are a nice addition and a treat for collectors of rare fruits.

Passiflora manicata can be tried outdoors in the coastal Mediterranean. It is rather cold resistant and while it is damaged by frost, it thrives unscathed with night temperatures of just 4 C.  In some places it will die back during winter and will behave as a deciduous perennial and sprout again by mid spring. It is also suitable to pot cultivation.

Two Pictures from wikimedia commons:

- By John Ocampo - Foto tomada en Colombia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4396850
- By BernardM - scanned from The Royal Horticultural Society Diary 2004, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3970609