Passion fruit

What does Passion fruit look like?

Passion fruit is a vigorous, climbing vine with tendrils and evergreen leaves. Its flowers are about 5–7.5 cm wide, with five green sepals and five white petals forming a fringed, showy bloom. The base of the flower is purple, and the flower has five stamens and a branched style. The fruit is round or oval, 4–7.5 cm across, with a smooth, leathery rind that is either dark purple with white specks or bright yellow. Inside, the fruit contains many brown seeds, each surrounded by juicy, aromatic pulp that tastes sweet and slightly acidic.

Where does Passion fruit come from?

Passion fruit is native to the region stretching from southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. The name comes from missionaries in Brazil around 1700, who used the flower's structure to teach about the Passion of Christ, calling it 'flower of the five wounds.' The plant has since spread widely and is now cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

When and how Passion fruit blooms

The vine grows best in warm, frost-free climates and is usually grown from seed or cuttings. It produces flowers singly at each node, and the fruit develops after pollination, which is often done by bees. The purple-fruited type is self-compatible, while the yellow type needs cross-pollination. The fruit matures to either purple or yellow, depending on the variety, and is harvested when fully ripe.

How Passion fruit is used

Passion fruit is eaten fresh, with the pulp scooped out and sometimes sprinkled with sugar. Its juice is popular for drinking on its own or mixed with other juices, and is also used in desserts, sauces, and syrups. In many countries, it flavors cakes, ice creams, and soft drinks. The fruit is valued for its aroma and sweet-sour taste and is a common ingredient in both home and commercial kitchens.

Kinds of Passion fruit

There are two main forms: the purple passion fruit (P. edulis f. edulis), which is smaller, less acidic, and has a richer aroma, and the yellow passion fruit (P. edulis f. flavicarpa), which is larger, more acidic, and often used as rootstock. The yellow variety is also used in breeding and is more common in tropical lowlands.

What Passion fruit means

The passion fruit's name and symbolism are linked to Christian missionary teaching in Brazil, where the flower's parts were seen as symbols of the Passion of Christ. The fruit is widely used in the cuisines of Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, and is a familiar flavor in drinks and desserts. In Brazil, it is called maracujá.

Questions people ask about Passion fruit

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• HRS cultivating ‘passion fruit'The Hindu, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Passiflora edulis on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data