passion flower / fruit
 

Has anyone above the zone 6/7 line ever successfully grow passion flowers and fruit in a container? I have read that it can be but my hangup with it is what do I do with it when I bring it in the house? I cant just drag a 10-15 foot multi-vine into the front living room like I can my SDC.
All Q's, comments, and help is greatly appreciated.

Thanx!
Shaggy

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Here's a link to a thread from last September.

http://www.bananas.org/f8/passion-vines-seed-5957.html

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I used to do it in Zone 3 with P. caerulea.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I'm growing some passionflowers from seed. I got the seeds from the fruit of my brother's vine and it's been growing outside for a very long time. So I'd say it was fairly hardy. I don't know what the UK zone equivalent is, sorry, but it gets quite chilly.

Some people say they are difficult to propogate from seed, but I think they need some cold stratification.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I planted seeds from a fruit I bought last year. They grew outside in a big concrete pot. I dug them up, cut them back & brought them inside. They only grew a little - sort of dormant, & now will go back out in a few weeks. Don't know what kind & I hope to get flowers this summer.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

But Lorax, p. caerulea is very cold hardy. We grew it outside in England under snow. Can't think what zone we were then unfortunately.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I've done it with P. mixto as well - that's hardy to -5C.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Passion vines ,from what I have read,do well in containers. Prune it before taking it indoors.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Passiflora incarnata is native to your area. Even if you want to bring it inside for the winter, it will already set fruit by that point.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Passiflora incarnata: - isn't that the same as Maypop? They are s'posed to be the most cold hardy passie, only to zone 5 but only in mild winters & heavily mulched.
I ordered a seedling one year - 6 " high & planted it inground in spring & it grew & made some beautiful flowers but not long enough season for fruits. It died over winter. S'posed to be hardy in zone 5 & I mulched it but it died.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

My Maypop (P. incarnata) did nothing the first year, some leaves and maybe 6 ft. of vine. Last year it showered us with flowers and even a few fruit, but they didn't ripen. (P. caerulea has died twice). Be careful what you wish for, my maypop now has taken over about 8 ft of fence and even grows in the lawn!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Thanks for the info guys.....I was doing some reading and thought that I could grow Maypops. I have about 120 feet of 6 foot tall chainlink fence I'd like to do something with...Even though (according to 1990 Zone map) I'm on the 5b/6a border, the temps here rarely ever go below 0 (in my area, the chance of going below 0 is the same as going above 100). So, I figured I could order an already rooted plant and try it this year and see what happens by next summer.
I was even thinking of trying out the giant granadilla (read somewhere it was hardy to z6) and seeing what happens.

Shaggy

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I belong to a passiflora group on face book and grow several variates.
Maypop is a common name given to vines native to the mid Atlantic states
i however do not believe it is the variety (P. incarnata) memory fails me as to what it's given name is all get back to you all on that
i have Galapagos, and arnata Ruby Glow, as well as Pura Vita Red and Lavender lady which i do not recommend its highly invasive and i have to hack it back I just don't think its flowers are all that nice now that one by the way is vary hardy to zone 5 I'm trying to get some of the good eating kinds but there aways sold out at my favorite on-line nursery

this is the one i want for fruit its a truly sweet and beautiful vine:
Passiflora Edulis Black Beauty produces sweet, delicious purple-black passion fruits. This vine is beautiful but usually is grown for the fruit, that are exceptionally sweet. This vine produced 30 to 40 of these beautiful The vine grows to about 20' and is pretty much pest free.


heres a link to a site that has every thing you could ever want to know about Passiflora this guy is considered just about the most knowledgeable Passiflora researcher in the world

Passiflora - Passion flowers - Passion flower

now i have had some trouble with this Lady's seeds but ever one els tells me there vary fresh so you decide for your self

Edible Passion Vines Edulis Alata Black Beauty Flavicarpa Granadilla Incarnata maypop Mollissima Panama Red Quadrangularis

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Pauly, they sell Black Beauty at the markets here (in fruit form, but still). I'm collecting Passiflora seeds for somebody else - do you want me to save some of that one for you?

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Oi! Me! Me! Me wun Passie sds! :ha:

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I'd like to grow that too. If I can't find a plant would mind saving some seeds for me?

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Sure. I buy the fruits by the 25-unit sack when they're at market, so I should end up with lots of seeds!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

sure if you think it can get here in the USA ok?

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

If I send you less than 20g of seeds in a regular envelope, both postal systems will treat it like a letter.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Lorax - importing seeds into the USA through the US postal system is banned, and they check for them. I have had a number of small packages of small seeds destroyed - ask Mskitty et al! Unbelievable but true!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Maybe that's what happened to your squash seeds. Dorks.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I had pretty good luck getting sds in a padded envelope to some of the guys on the board in different parts of US. Just don't over do it and don't bother to list the content of the envelope.

Cassie, so far, there's no problem getting sds into M'sia. You want to send me some? :ha::ha::ha:

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

If you are willing to do this for whom-ever crosses this thread.....put me down for and "envelope" please!!!

I just recently purchased P. incarnata seeds online and hope they are what they say they are and by memorial day next year I'll have some good chain-link fence beautifier.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey Tog - tell me what you would like seed-wise and I will see what I can do. Atm the balsa is shedding seed, and I also have some yellow flame tree seeds. My passieflora vitifolia has seed pods too but they are not ripe yet. I am going to England in May and can post them from there. Also a small green-flowered aerial orchid has seed pods which will go to waste and be left to do their thing.

Lorax - I think that must be the case as nothing has arrived!! Thanks for the thought!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Most small seed shipments to the USA that I've heard about have made it here okay.

A friend got a small seed lot import permit which is easy but then trying to get correct information on compliance was difficult.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I sent key lime seeds to a guy in Netherlands & he sent me cherimoya seeds in padded envelope - no problem.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Patty, why did you get cherimoya seeds from the Netherlands rather than California? You can get 5 pounds of fruit with lots of seeds for $18 plus shipping of something like $9.30 at cherimoya.com (you may need to have an account to access that page). Or order some white sapote while you're at it and have them shipped in a large flat rate box and plant those seeds also! :)

How log does it usually take for passionfruit seeds to germinate? I've had only 4 out of 20 germinate after about 3-4 weeks but I don't think they were very fresh.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

In '02 someone posted on a forum (GW?) that he wanted the lime seeds for trade. I don't know why, but he said you can't find key limes in Netherlands. He asked if I'd like cherimoya seeds. I never heard of cherimoya. He sent me a link telling how to grow them & pics. We don't see them around here -no one here heard of them & I was fascinated so, they only cost me postage. Now I have 3 that should fruit this year! I gave away some for trade too.
I planted my P fruit seeds fresh from a fruit I bought in store. They germinated very fast. Maybe your seeds were not so fresh :(

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Wait a minute Patty!!! Cherimoya fruiting in Wisconsin??? I want to see pictures!!!!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

LOL Harvey. Almost like trying to get a Ice Cream to fruit here:)

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I think you should try mangosteen next! :P

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Don't know what that is! So, maybe I will try that too LOL.
Wisconsin grown mangosteen, banana & cherimoya!!! WOOHOO

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

You people want some sds of a very nice cultivar from here? It was developed by the govt's agri research dept (I think the only thing they ever did right in their existence).

It has a slight strawberry-like sharp butt instead of being totally round. Taste very sweet and especially nice and kinda crunchy just before ripening. When totally ripen, it's really nice. I have a couple of trees of this cultivar but the season will be around the next 2 mths or so.

This is not a joke.....

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Will it fruit before I die of old age??? I've thought about trying to grow them in my greenhouse but the humidity gets down to 30% some of the time and I'm not prepared to spend big bucks to try to control the environment in there. However, I do have a friend who is grafting a pulusan for me and I'm going to give a shot at that.

What's the name of this cultivar? I'd like to ask my friend if he knows about it.

By the way, I ate some canned mangosteen fruit with dinner tonight and it was very mediocre! I drank some mangosteen soda pop with lunch today, so you can tell I've got mangosteen on my mind! :D

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

I would LOVE some Tog! It might make me feel better when my big IC dies.
Then Harvey will say "why did you get seeds from Malaysia when you can get fruit here" LOL
OK, I'm picking on you Harvey :)

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Patty, if you fruit mangosteen in WI, you will be written about for ages! DO IT!!! :P

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Ok, Patty, will send you some including the Pulasan X Rambutan hybrid. Btw, Mangosteen is called Manggis here in the Malay language. Do you know what Rambutan means?
Key Words
Rambut = Hair
Hutan = Jungle
So it is literally Hairy Jungle Fruit.

Canned? Yuk! You gotta have it fresh off the tree. I don't know the name of this cultivar as it was developed by MARDI and came in with a number. I think you can get it to fruit by the 5th year or so. Francis got like a bunch of them some years ago and they fruit well each year and we don't even give it any fert. This is the only fruit I eat from my nursery and I give very specific instructions that no one gets any till I have my fill! And I can eat alot.
As for Pulasan, no one did a good job on the development of the cultivar. The wild strains are the best. They taste totally different form the cultivars. However, wild Pulasan takes at least 10+ yrs to fruit from sd, now that's in its natural environment. Can't imagine over at your place. We have the Pulasan X Rambutan hybrid which is very nice but it can't beat the original real stuff. Looks like a Pulasan but bigger and taste in between the two. Whoever claims they are selling the real deal in town, all I need is to take a bite and give the guy hell. The people now only know of it as a cultivar.

Maybe you can grow the Mangosteen for fun since it is a tough plant.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey, the canned fruit was mediocre, but I had to try it when I saw it at the Chinese market where I went for the black beans for Michael. Not bad, but definitely not great!!!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Tog makes me zone envy/jealous, Harvey makes me culturally envy/jealous.

It is sad, the closest chinatown to me or anywhere that doesn't sell ONLY bananas, apples, oranges, pineapples, lemons and limes is over 400 miles away. The only thing I have ever seen in the markets around here that is even remotely tropical was a drink made from acai, mangosteen and blueberry. verdict on that was bad, zero sweetness and very thick. Took one sip and threw it away.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Since we are already off track; are you people familiar with this fruit, the Rollinia mucosa aka Biriba? It's from the Brazilian-Peruvian Amazon area.



I like it cos it weird looking like a big yellow durian. The pulp is creamy and not overly sweet. I found one at the local market sometime back and saved some sds for germn. I have a bunch of them now still in the com-pot and am too lazy to transplant them.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

THAT, looks like a banana ball! what kind of flavor to that and how big does that tree/shrub/bush need to be to fruit? I wish I lived in tropics!

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey, Shaggy, thanks for making me feel cultured! LOL

We do have some interesting markets here but also some really weird (IMO) people! I'd like to send some of those fruits your way! LOL

I may go to visit some close friends in Cincinnati this summer and want to check out Jungle Jim's (or something like that) which I read about once. Sounds like an interesting market.

Today I'll be taking my son to the hospital in Oakland and I'm hoping that afterwords my wife will let me drop by the very interesting market Berkeley Bowl. It's in Berkeley or, as some of us say, Bezerkeley, but they sell about 8 kinds of bananas and have a produce section that's about 75' x 200'.

Tog, I believe I've seen a picture of that fruit in a Yahoo group with a different kind of weird folks (like me) from around the world. I've never seen one in person, though.

Cheers,

Harvey

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

iv lost track of what we are talking about some were the last i new tog was offering me seeds then every one wanted them and now we have wired pictures of fruit iv never see before?

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey, Paulo, here's a quick summery. It was Beth (lorax) who offered to send you seeds, not Tog, but Tog wanted some of the passiflora seeds also. Then we started sharing experiences in sending seeds and got into talking about some of these other fruits which have resulted from seed sharing, etc.

You better follow-up with Beth, though, since I don't know if you ever responded to her offer.

Over and out,

Harvey

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey Shaggy, it tastes like an annona but to me it's more buttery and not too sweet. Nice. It didn't make it as a commercial crop cos of it's short shelf life. It gets to be as big as an American football. The tree gets to be 40ft tall and is supposed to fruit by the 3rd yr after planting. I paid just under $3 for the fruit in the pix. You can see my hand for size comparison.

Harv, thanks for the Rare Fruits link. I am not a fruit guy but I grew this out of curiosity. I think it looks real cool! If we were to start a new thread on Tropical Fruits, I think you guys will enjoy it cos together with Thailand we do have heck lots of weird and nice eating stuff. At our nursery before I teamed up with Francis, he has like more than 10 different types of fruits of which I didn't care less. He started with about 300 Nangka aka Jackfruit trees.

Lastly, some notes on Wild Rambutan species, Nephelium lappaceum ;
There are like about 10 different species of the original jungle plant in M'sia. All of them have small sour tasting fruits with a thin pulp.
The thing I hate about harvesting rambutans is that they are always full of the Kerannga Ants aka Weaver Ants, Oecophylla smaragdina. When you harvest the fruits, they will be all over you and you will experience pain from every direction. In Thailand, they introduce this ant species to the rambutan cultivars as a natural pesticide. Within the the tree, they make nests out of dried leaves and they are everywhere! They will attack and eat any other insect which comes into its domain. Over there the eggs of these ants is considered a delicacy. I have eaten it, well, so-so in taste except they make a cute pop-pop in the mouth. :ha:

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Harvey, my mom makes trips to Cincy every 6 months or so...I'll have to send her down there with a cooler to bring me some goodies back from jungle jim's. I'd go myself but thats still a 5 hours or so drive for me each way. I'd be happy to take shipments (small) of exotic fruits! My wife will hate me but, oh well....

Tog, you lost me at "Hey Shaggy" and picked me back up at "size of American Football"! LOL! I have never had an annona that I am aware of. Only exotic fruit (to me at least) I have ever eaten is caimito (star apple), carambola (star fruit), asian guava, mangos. Anything outside of those is alien to me. I do know what MOST of the exotics are just never tasted them due to the ignorant prices to even get 5 lbs. of fruit shipped directly to my house. But if shipped to me by a nice shopper....Harvey....I am willing to try any type of fruit or veggie except for durian (weak stomach for things that smell like carrion and rotten flesh). Ant eggs, very interesting, didnt know they get big enough to even make a snack out of them. Might have to try them one time, or just go to Malaysia and have you sit me blindfolded behind a table with a big pile of different Malay foods.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Hey Shaggy, Frieda's Finest is one online vendor with some interesting and exotic offerings. It even appears there must be a glut of mangosteen and they are running a sale and run only about $3 per fruit! :ha: Frieda's Inc. - The Specialty Produce Company I've bought the imported ones a couple of times in the Bay Area markets and they were very good. A friend who had bought some at these same markets bought some from Frieda last year and he said they were the best he had had.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Can't wait to show mama the my newest food bill! Thanks Harv! I usually order from Robert Is Here out of Homestead, FL but I can't order online only by phone, but they have some good stuff given the proper season.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

This is scary, it's like approx $ 1.40 - 2.20 per kilo here, about 12-16 fruits! Works out to be about 8 - 15 cents each. And I call it expensive. I always eat at least 40 fruits at a single sitting which what? Makes me scoffing $120 at a time??? :ha:

So what's the price of Rambutans? Any idea? In M'sia it's approx $1 - 1.40 per kg. The cheapest I paid at the Thai side of the Cambodian border was less than 9 cents a kilo. On top of the cheap price, it's all you can eat sampling. No one ever complains how many you can eat on the spot.

Re: passion flower / fruit
 

Yeah Tog, I know of folks that talk about eating the cheap fruits like crazy when traveling in Thailand or wherever. I've bought rambutan a couple of times (non-irradiated fruit from Guatemala) and think it was something like $5-$6/pound. I buy less than a pound at a time when I buy them so it's not too extreme.

None of the mangosteens I've purchased have had gambouge though I've heard that is often a problem and not detectable from exterior appearances. Is it much of a problem there? Do you think it's related to wind damage or some other cause?