Passiflora ‘Betty Myles Young’ (Passion Flower)

A very floriferous passion flower, Passiflora ‘Betty Myles Young’ is a large, vigorous, semi-evergreen climber with twining tendrils. Reminiscent of Passiflora caerulea, the large, slightly reflexed, purple flowers, 3-4 in. across (7-10 cm), feature a ring of dark blue, pointed filaments surrounding the green fleshy reproductive structures. This passion flower produces 30-40 or more flowers a day for months on end. In the right conditions, it will bloom year-round. The lightly scented blossoms are followed by egg-size deep orange fruits. The foliage consists of palmately lobed, shiny dark green leaves.

This passion flower belongs to the Passifloraceae family, famed not just for its edible fruit but also for its intricate passion flower. Among these botanical floral beauties are Passiflora alata, P. incarnata, P. racemosa, P. lutea, P. edulis, and the ravishing P. caerulea.

• Blooms profusely through most of the warm months from summer to fall
• Thrives in full sun or part shade, in loose sandy or gravelly, moist, well-drained soils. Good drainage is essential. Go light on fertilizer and water deeply, but infrequently. Passion Flowers should be encouraged to reach deep into the earth for water. This prompts them to develop a powerful root system that will sustain them through droughts and freezes. Do not provide too much manure or compost or this will result in lush vegetative growth and poor flowering. Keep the soil on the dry side in the winter. Some drought tolerance once established.
• Easy to grow, this Passion vine can quickly grow up to 10-15 ft. long (3-5 m). Don’t try to train your Passion Flower to be too neat and compact. The branches allowed to hang loose and droop a bit will be the ones most inclined to flower.
• Excellent choice for trellises, walls, fences or arbors. Perfect in wall-side borders, city gardens, cottage gardens, Mediterranean gardens and containers. This trouble free climber clings with tendrils so won’t damage brickwork or fences!
• Butterflies are extraordinarily fond of Passion Flowers.
• The terminal buds may be pinched out to encourage branching.
• Propagate by seed, semi-hardwood cuttings or by layering in spring or fall.
• This vine blooms on new growth and should be pruned in late winter or early spring. No regular pruning needed. However trimming may be required to keep them to the space available, removing as much from the longer shoots as necessary.
• Ingestion of some parts may cause severe discomfort