Cottage Garden Seeds and Cottage Garden Plants

Passiflora caerulea Toxic: All parts, other than fully ripe fruits, are harmful if eaten.

Edible: The fruits of this variety can be eaten, but only when fully ripe. If consumed when they are yellow they can cause gastric upsets.

Herbal: Passiflora is used in herbal remedies to aid sleep and alleviate stress and anxiety, but since the leaves contain cyanide it should never be self-administered. Seek advice from a herbalist or buy trusted over-the-counter preparations.

Blue passion flower, Common passion flower

Currently unavailable

Type/Hardiness	Herbaceous, Perennial, Climber, Hardy
Flowering period	Spring to first frosts
Height	Up to 15-20m
Light preference	Sun, part shade
Soil preference	Well-drained, moist, moderately fertile
Sowing time/depth	Any time, 0.1in/2mm-0.25/5mm

Attractive in all respects, this vigorous climber has not only exquisitely intricate flowers but distinctive lobed foliage and bright orange, egg-shaped fruits, which are edible when fully ripe but rather bland in taste, from late summer onwards. It is often deciduous in milder areas.

Sowing and/or growing instructions

Can be sown indoors or under glass at any time, but fresh seed will germinate more readily so it is recommended to sow on receipt. Scarify seeds with sandpaper, then pour on hot (not boiling) water and soak for 24 hours. Sow in good quality, moist (but not waterlogged) compost, covering with 2-5mm compost. Place in a propagator and maintain a temperature of 26C/79F. Germination is likely to be sporadic, taking anything between 4 weeks to a year. Transplant seedlings as they appear into individual pots and grow on until large enough to plant out, after all danger of frost is has passed, in a position where it can scramble or climb. Passiflora caerulea is usually frost hardy in milder parts of the UK, but may benefit from some protection over winter. These are vigorous plants but can be kept in check by pruning as desired.