Passiflora coccineaRed Passion Flower

Passiflora coccinea carries the largest and most vivid flower of the commonly grown passion vines: a flat scarlet disc 100 to 120 millimetres across, with a dense corona of purple and white filaments at its centre, opening in succession through most of the year.

It is an Amazonian climber, vigorous but not coarse, and it wants warmth, humidity and something to climb. Given those it will cover a pergola or a wire screen within a season or two.

Specifications

• Height3 to 5 metres as a climber, occasionally to 10 metres
• Width2 to 4 metres
• Native toNorthern South America, chiefly the Amazon basin
• FoliageOblong, toothed, softly hairy mid-green leaves on twining tendrilled stems; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers rich, moist, well-drained soils
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate to regular; does not tolerate extended dry periods
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical and subtropical regions; sensitive to frost

Additional Features

• FlowersFlat scarlet flowers to 120 millimetres across with a purple and white filament corona, over a long season
• FruitOval orange-yellow fruit, mottled, edible when fully ripe
• UsesPergolas, arbours, wire screens, wall cover and tropical garden schemes
• SpacingPlant 2 to 3 metres apart along a structure
• Low MaintenanceThin and shorten the framework each year to keep flowering wood within reach
• Pest ResistanceGenerally straightforward; caterpillars of passion vine butterflies will take some foliage
• Wildlife AttractionA larval host for passion vine butterflies and a strong nectar source

The Red Passion Flower is the boldest of the climbing passifloras and the obvious choice where a structure needs a genuinely tropical flower at eye level.