Red passion flower plants (Passiflora vitifolia) develop since evergreen tropical vines in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. This jungle blossom originates in Central and South America in which it’s known as red grenadilla. This is a very frost tender plant which grows best in warm sunny locations. This ornamental plant is commonly found growing in containers in greenhouses or homes. Unlike other passion flower plants, the red fire flower plant does not attract butterflies.
Description
This fast vine reaches 15 to 20 feet long with tendrils to cling to some support surface available. The green leaves are deeply-lobed with three distinct lobes. The resemblance to grape leaves provides the red passion flower plant another title of grape-leaved passion fruit vine.
Flower facts
This passion flower vine creates a dark red blossom reaching 3 1/2 ins wide. The lance-shaped petals extend fully open surrounding a center of lighter colored filaments. Each unscented bloom consists of ten botanical and five glowing green stamens in the middle. The structure of this flower was in comparison to the passing of Jesus by missionaries who attempted to convert Native Americans to christianity. The 10 petals represented the apostles as well as the stamens represented the five wounds inflicted to Jesus on the cross. Missionaries thought that this could make their instruction more memorable.
Fruit facts
The ornamental fruit of this red fire flower plant is yellowish-green. The fruit hangs off the vine growing 2 inches long with a distinctive egg form. To harvest seeds, allow undamaged fruit to remain on the vine as long as you can. When the fruit is overripe, scoop out the seeds, clean them and dry the seeds. Do not store the seeds and sow in moist dirt straight away.
Care
The soil needs to remain moist the first year following planting to develop a strong root structure. Use flower fertilizer to feed the vine a couple of times annually. The vine needs a tall trellis to grow up or another support arrangement. Prune back annually in order to keep the vine at the desired size. Do severe pruning in the spring just before new growth begins, otherwise light pruning, which includes thinning out new development, is performed almost any time of the year.