Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance Eliott’ (Passion Flower)

One of the most popular Passion Flowers, award-winning Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance Elliot’ is a vigorous semi-evergreen climber with fragrant and exotic, star-shaped, white flowers adorned with a ring of white pointed filaments. The fascinating blooms are followed by egg-size yellow to orange fruits from late summer through fall. The fruits are edible but not very tasty. This elegant white Passion Flower also features handsome foliage of deeply lobed, shiny, dark green leaves. Tough and hardy, ‘Constance Elliot’ was bred in the 1800s and has kept all its charm!

Native to southern Brazil and Argentina, Passion Flower is evergreen in tropical climates but deciduous where winters are cool. It has survived temperatures as low as 5ºF (-15ºC) when the ground is frozen over two feet deep! While it dies to the ground during the cold season, it will regrow from deep roots after even severe freezes.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its noteworthy qualities.
• Blooms profusely through most of the warm months from mid-summer to early 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 to sustain them through droughts and freezes. Do not provide too much manure or compost, which 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 twining vine can quickly grow up to 20-30 ft. long (6-9 m). Don’t try to train your Passion Flower to be too neat and compact. The branches allowed to hang loose and droop will most likely 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 that it 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 Passion vine blooms on new growth and should be pruned in late winter or early spring. No regular pruning is 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.