Passion Flower Shop

• Passion flowers are exotic looking topical plants that can actually be grown in much milder areas.
• Symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion.
• Giant green to yellow passion fruit reaching over one foot in diameter.
• Very tasty and often eaten or used in drinks.
• The starter plant you will receive is growing in a 4" pot.

Giant green to yellow passion fruit reaching over one foot in diameter. Very tasty and often eaten or used in drinks. Passion flowers are exotic looking topical plants that can actually be grown in much milder areas. There are many different passion flower plants. Some passion flowers are vines, some produce edible fruits. The genus Passiflora contains over 400 species. The name 'Passion' Flower comes from Spanish Christian missionaries who adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion. A large genus of several hundred species of climbing (with tendrils) plants nearly all from the New World, and most bearing fascinating flowers which must be amongst the most wonderful and beautiful to be found in the floral kingdom. Although recounted in most references to the genus, the story behind the name is still worth repeating here. The early Spanish missionaries in South America saw in the flower the instruments of Christ's Passion - the central column (gynandrophore) represented the scourging post, the three stigmas the three nails, the five stamens the five wounds, the corona filaments the crown of thorns, the calyx the nimbus or halo of glory, and the ten petals the Apostles - Peter and Judas being absent. They are very easy to raise from seed and very vigorous - given half a chance, they will take over your greenhouse. They grow well in pots and flowers are often produced in succession throughout the summer.

"Lost flower of the Andes is blooming in Britain." This headline in the Daily Telegraph celebrated the last remaining example of Passiflora lourdesae, a Venezuelan herbaceous climber that was raised from a cutting by John Vanderplank--the only successful attempt from a dozen cuttings sent to botanists around the world. The story of this dramatic recovery from extinction is just one of the delights of Passion Flowers. The book documents more than 150 species, with more than 120 of them illustrated in color. This edition has been updated throughout.

Reviews

This is a beautiful book with many impressive photographs of wild and cultivated Passiflora species, written by one of the foremost Passiflora botanists alive. Unfortunately it is rather incomplete, and only contains descriptions for a fraction of the species in the genus. However, this drawback does not detract from the appeal of the book, which seems mostly geared toward horticultural enthusiasts and botanists looking for quick desk reference "field guide" type identification help. The species that are contained in the book are described in depth, with notes on natural history and much information on cultivation. The book should be a great help identifying almost all commonly cultivated Passiflora. And of course, the photos are stunning and extremely helpful for characterizing the species. Definitely a book that any Passiflora botanists or enthusiasts would appreciate and use. Also worth noting is that since the publication of this book, numerous new species of Passiflora have been described (some by the Vanderplank himself, such as P. miniata), some of which are in conflict with the species descriptions in this book. It is worth performing a Google Scholar search on any given species to be sure and turn up the most recent taxonomic literature before conclusively settling on an identification made using this book.

Passiflora growers who find the tags affixed by nurseries and discount stores to be either sadly lacking in information -- or just plain wrong -- will want this book on their shelves. Its photographs, taxonomy data, history, and cultural information -- all coupled with its reader-friendly presentation -- make this a must-buy for the enthusiast.

This book is the best about the passiflora : it gives all informations about all species, how to grow the plant and the passion fruits. It also gives historical info and economical : where to find passiflora in the world. The author is the world recognised expert about the subject making this book the most advanced in the knowledge of the passion flower (passiflora) and the passion fruit.

Since they were first described in Europe in the 16th century, passionflowers have held a special fascination among plant collectors for their bold, beautiful, complicated blossoms and delectable passionfruits. Most are perennial climbers, but some are trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, or even annuals, and all lend a dramatic, tropical flavor to any situation. Since they have such a broad range of cultivation requirements, passionflowers can be grown by just about anyone, and cold-hardy species can be grown outdoors year-round. This authoritative, comprehensive volume describes 207 Passiflora species and 31 hybrids. A chapter is devoted to the remarkable coevolution of passionflowers with Heliconius butterflies, which many passionflower enthusiasts now raise alongside flowering vines in the greenhouse. As lushly illustrated as it is informative, Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World reveals the immense variation found among members of this extraordinary genus.

Reviews

What a wonderful book for a single kind of plant! It has everything you expect to know about the Passiflora genus.

Like most Passiflora growers, I'm a fanatic. This is a fascinating thing because, before getting interested in passiflora, the only plants I was interested in growing was okra, tomatoes and squash. Anyway, I remembered the extraordinary perfume of passion flowers from my childhood and was hooked. Part of the reason I was hooked is because it wasn't easy. Most passion flowers hate cold weather so I built a jury-rig greenhouse. My passion for these exotic vines led me to purchase a bunch of varieties and, first thing you know, I found myself carrying heavy pots between yard and greenhouse twice a year. Good exercise, maybe, but not good for my back. A few varieties bloomed profusely but most bloomed only occasionally or rarely. I began to question my sanity. One of my major problems was that--because I live WAY out in the country--I have abundant hispid cotton rats and, despite the claims that the vines contain cyanogens, these miserable rodents chew them off about an inch from the ground just like little beavers. The first thing I notice is wilting leaves as the entire plant dies. These #%^*# have cost me 1,000 dollars or more. I'm not a rat lover--traps, poisons, shooting--I'd machinegun them if I could. Nothing has done any good. Those of you who complain about caterpillars are sissies. You haven't known a passion flower problem until you have 100 cotton rats or more. Anyway, this book is a winner. It has all the biologic, taxonomic, cultivation, propagation and geographic information you can stand. Don't believe them about rooting them in water, though. I've tried it--nothing. I bought an EZ Clone gadget and now it's working. The photos are wonderful unfortunately [or fortunately] most of these varieties aren't available to me. One of the best things about this book is that I bought in an arboretum in ARIZONA. Yep, Arizona, the state that had the guts and wisdom to stand up to Barack Hussein Obama. I'm glad to support them any way I can, even if it is just to purchase a book or a cactus. By the way, I'm a little wiser, too. I live in South Texas and have decided not to fight it. Passiflora incarnata and 'Incense' are going bonkers and overwinter beautifully--no hauling pots. Most of my yard is covered by their vines and I have a riot of gorgeous flowers. They run underground, like Bermuda grass, and are protected from the frost. I've given up cutting my grass. I'd rather have a passion flower lawn. Yeah, I love caerula-alata, too. They're more trouble but the perfume is worth it.

This is very good scientific treatment of the genus Passiflora, and is also the most complete treatment of the genus available in book form. It contains a wealth of information, from purely taxonomic data, to horticultural information and natural history. The species descriptions are short but informative, and most are accompanied by leaf illustrations that are useful for checking identifications. The color plates are numerous and do an excellent job of documenting Passiflora diversity, both morphological as well as socio-economic. Although many species are not treated here (about half the genus is missing), this does represent the most complete standalone treatment of the genus available to date. Most of those species that any layman or casually interested botanist is likely to encounter are included, and a table at the beginning lists the approximate numbers of species for all infrageneric taxa, which should help those studying diversity in the genus. Photographs of every listed species are included in the color plates, including numerous rare and infrequently documented taxa, further increasing the scientific value of this book. There are also short chapters on passion fruits, regional descriptions of Passiflora diversity (Belize and the Atlantic forest of Brazil, respectively), cultivation, and more. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the genus.

I've found this book to be more than informative. It helped me to identify a volunter that sprouted up in my garden. This book gives you information on the history, cultivation, propagation (various forms), and most inmortantly in depth descriptions with beautifull color photos. It make you want to have all the passion flowers you see! It also has info on the butterflies that feed on them. I would recommend this book if you really are into passion flowers.

Hundreds of gorgeous photographs and lots of information about a flower that is not well known, beyond the usual nursery varieties. Passionflowers are a spectacular species and this volume tells you how to grow them, where they are found, the legend associated with Christ's crown of thorns and even more detailed knowledge for horticulturists or biologists. It's a good buy just for the pictures alone. The authors are experts, yet communicate clearly for everyone. Some of these flowers are out of this world!