My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Passiflora

A Vine or shrub with large green leaves and gorgeous long tendrils. The flower is complex, about five to ten centimeters in diameter, with a wide ring of sepals and petals similar in appearance , surmounted by a corona of blue or violet filaments, the greenish-yellow stamens and purple stigmas.

Passion fruit leaves with tendrils for my Floral Trends Design Group Glass design

Common name

Granadilla, passionflower, passion vines

Origin

Native to Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina

Varieties

It is unusual to find a passion flower for sale as a cut flower. It was very popular to use passion flowers in arrangements in the Victorian times and it is again gaining star status. Hundreds of hybrids have been named and hybridizing is currently being done extensively for cut flowers, foliage, tendrils and decorative fruit.

Colors

Pink, blue or green flowers, yellow or dark purple fruit.

Vase life

Sadly, short- the flowers last only from one to at most a few days. Fruit will shrivel and dry. The tendrils and foliage do a bit better and will last for seven to ten days in a vase.

Scent

Mild fruity fragrance or none or some smell really bad such as Passiflora foetida (stinking passionflower) that gets its name from the strong aroma emitted by damaged foliage.

Uses

Unbeatable for long, fast growing swirling and curling tendrils. Gorgeous and unusual flowers. Lush, large leaves for wrapping and covering mechanics.

Conditioning

Cut the stems at an angle and condition in warm water over night

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Related Designs
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Mud!!! Floral Art Demonstration at the Rondebosch Flower Club
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