Passiflora 'Silly Cow'
passion flower 'Damsel's Delight'
A large, vigorous, semi-evergreen climber with twining tendrils. Leaves dark green, with three to five finger-like lobes. Flowers to 10cm in width, with greenish or purplish white petals and blue-purple coronal filaments that are black-purple at the base. The fruit is yellow-orange, but rarely produced. The pulp in the fruits only can be eaten when they are fully ripe and yellow-orange. Unripe fruit is toxic
Size
Ultimate height
8–12 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Purple White | Green | ||
Autumn | Purple White | Green | Orange | |
Winter | Green | Orange |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Passifloraceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Habit
- Climbing
- Potentially harmful
- Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Passiflora are mostly tender tendril-climbing shrubs, with simple or palmately-lobed, generally evergreen leaves and showy flowers of distinctive structure with often colourful coronal filaments, followed by conspicuous fruits, edible in some species
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Fast-growing climber for a warm position in sun or partial shade; thrives in moist but well-drained soil. In cold areas, grow in a container and overwinter indoors
Propagation
Propagate by, semi-hardwood cuttings or by layering in spring or autumn
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Patio and container plants
- City and courtyard gardens
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Pruning group 11 or pruning group 12 if necessary, in early spring
Pests
May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects and glasshouse whitefly
Diseases
May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely) and a virus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.