Gardening Houseplants Types of Houseplants

How to Grow and Care for Passionflower Indoors

Passionflower with purple corolla surrounding yellow-green stamen closeup

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

The common name "passionflower" applies to any of nearly 500 species of perennial vines in the Passiflora genus, though a relatively small number of species are commonly grown as garden plants. These plants gain their common name from the unique structure of the flowers and their symbolic importance. According to the plant's original catalogers, each of the flower's structures can be seen as symbols of the Passion of Christ. The corolla is said to reflect Christ's crown of thorns, the five stamens are for the five wounds in his hands, feet, and side, and the three stigma represent the nails used to nail Christ to the cross.

Whatever their religious significance, there is no question that passionflowers are beautiful and strange, especially the species most commonly grown as a houseplant, P. caerulea. Passionflower vines have deeply lobed leaves with flowers that hang or peek out from the leaves. Some of the species have sweet and delicious edible fruit. Outside, passionflowers are grown on walls, fences, and trellises, where they are frequented by many varieties of butterflies.

But make no mistake: Growing a successful passionflower is a bit like grabbing a tiger's tail. They are robust, rampant vines under ideal conditions. and they may need frequent pruning to stay well-behaved, even when grown as houseplants.

Common Name Passionflower, passion flower, passion vine
Botanical Name Passiflora spp., esp. P. caerulea
Plant Type Perennial, vine

Can You Grow Passionflower Inside? 

When growing passionflower indoors, their sprawling vines can be troublesome. One particularly effective way to manage their growth is to train the vines around wire support, such as a loop of wires forming a giant oval above the pot. Passiflora caerulea also called blue passionflower, bluecrown passionflower, or common passionflower is by far the most common passionflower grown indoors and has blue and purple flowers. To grow a passionflower plant indoors, place it in a spot with full sun in a pot with a soilless, peat moss-based potting mix. In summer, keep the soil moist and feed monthly with a controlled-release balanced fertilizer; in winter, water less frequently, but don’t let it dry out.

Two passionflowers on end of stems with leaves

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

Passionflower vine climbing up white pole next to blue couch

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

Passionflower vines wrapped around white pole with pinkish-purple flower

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

Passionflower vine with lobed leaves and flower buds opening

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

How to Grow Passionflower Indoors

Sunlight

Give these plants plenty of bright light, especially during the summer growing season. Full sun is preferable in the summer, with as much light as you can give during the winter. Place passionflower in a south-facing room, sunroom, or greenhouse to get at least six hours of sunlight.

Artificial Light

If natural sunlight requirements are a challenge, grow lights can supplement passionflower light needs. Keep grow lights on for 8 to 10 hours (or more if you have low light conditions), using LED lights that are regulated by timers.

Temperature and Humidity

These plants can be quite warm in summer (household temperatures are fine) but like it a bit colder in winter months (down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night). Passionflower is fairly hardy, and even if they die back to the soil (such as may happen if you don't move them indoors quickly enough in the fall) they will likely recover next spring.

Passionflower does best with medium to high humidity, which can be hard to achieve indoors during the dry winter months. Misting or running a humidifier can help these plants.

Watering

Keep these plants moist at all times during the growing season; you might have to water larger plants twice a day in the heat, especially if you move them outdoors for the summer. During winter, reduce watering but don't let them dry out.

Fertilizer

Fertilize the plants adequately during the growing season (about every month) with a controlled-release balanced fertilizer, following package directions. When watering outdoor potted plants heavily in the summer, they may need to be fed more frequently. Feeding can be reduced in the winter.

Pruning and Maintenance

Even grown indoors, passionflower may need to be pruned back when it begins to grow beyond its wire support. Late winter or early spring, while the plant is less active, is the best time for this trimming.

Pollination

Normally bees or other pollinators pollinate passionflowers when grown outside. When grown indoors, passionflowers need to be hand pollinated, by transferring pollen from male to female flowers, to encourage fruiting. Pollinate in the morning when humidity is high, which activates the pollen. To hand pollinate, you can use a small paintbrush to pick up the pollen, or pluck one of the anthers, and apply the pollen to all of the flower’s stigmas.

Container and Size

Pot passionflower in a container that’s a few inches wider than its root ball, and make sure it has drainage holes since this plant needs well-drained soil.

Potting Soil and Drainage

When growing indoors, passionflower does well in an ordinary standard soilless potting mix based on peat moss. Keep soil moist, but to prevent roots from sitting in water, soil should be well draining. Any saucers used to catch water should be emptied right away.

Potting and Repotting Passionflower

Repot young plants every spring into a larger pot. Older plants can be stretched out every few years between repotting. To control their size, it's best to cut your passionflower down in the fall, leaving only a few vines 15 to 20 inches long in the pot. Be aware, however, that plants trimmed in this way will still need to be repotted or at least refreshed.

Moving Passionflower Outdoors for the Summer

Passionflowers can benefit from full sun and humidity by moving it outdoors during the summer. Acclimate passionflower by moving it outside in the spring—once temps are 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above and after the last frost—to a location with full shade first, and slowly adding moving the plant into more light over a two week period.

Considerations

Once acclimated, place passionflowers in full sun to partial shade, in a pot with nutrient rich soil that’s kept evenly moist. Since the plant will be watered more frequently outdoors during the summer, feed passionflower regularly with a all-purpose fertilizer.

When to Bring Passionflower Back Inside

In the fall, when night temperatures start to drop again to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, passionflowers can be brought back inside. Make sure to inspect the plant for pests to prevent any infestation of passionflower and other houseplants. Adjust for winter care by reducing watering and feeding the plant while keeping it in a bright location.

Common Pests and Diseases

When grown indoors, passionflower can be affected by many of the same problems common to other houseplants, including scale, spider mites, and whiteflies. Neem oil or another horticultural oil or soap is the best way to control these pests indoors.

Leaf spot, a form of fungal disease, can also occur if the plant is kept too wet. Remove affected leaves and treat the plant with a fungicide.

FAQ
  • How do you force passionflower to bloom indoors?


    When growing indoors, the plant may flower in the summer but don’t expect fruiting. Passionflower blooms early spring to early fall, from the months of June to October. Promote blooms by providing 6 hours of light, evenly moist soil, and monthly feeding during the growing season.

  • Is it easy to propagate passionflower?

    Passionflower is easy to propagate with leaf-tip cuttings. Rooting hormone is not necessary, as passionflower easily roots from cuttings. To propagate passionflower, take cuttings in the spring, strip off a few leaves to expose nodes, and bury the cutting in a moist seed-starting potting mix. Keep your seedling in a warm and bright place until new growth emerges. Once roots establish, transfer to a new pot with a peat-based, soilless potting mix.

  • How do you grow passionflower from seed?

    If you wish to start new passionflower plants from purchased or saved seeds, it's best to first scarify the seed shells and soak them in water for a day or two. If you are saving seeds from a hybrid variety, remember that they will probably not "come true," but will instead revert to the appearance of one of the parent species. After scarifying and soaking the seeds, place them on the surface of a pot filled with a damp potting mix, but don't cover the seeds, as they need light to germinate. Place the pot in a sealed plastic bag and put it in a bright location. In 10 to 20 days, the seeds will germinate and sprout. Remove the plastic and keep the pot out of direct sunlight until there are true leaves. It's best to grow the seedlings under a grow light during this time. The seedlings can be transplanted into larger pots when they are several inches tall with several sets of leaves.


  • How do I care for passionflower in the summer vs. the winter?

    Passionflowers are rampant growers during the growing season and benefit from plenty of sunshine, water, and fertilizer, as well as frequent pruning, which can even stimulate more blooms. In the winter, cut back on water and fertilizing and make sure the plant is in a bright location with temps of 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.


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  1. Moving Indoor Plants Outside for the Summer. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.