Translated from the Latin "passio" in the genus name means "passion", and "flos" - "flower". There is another name - passionflower, - obtained for the similarity in the structure of the flower with the symbols of the "passions of Christ." Corolla personified the crown of thorns of Jesus, anthers - bleeding wounds, and stigma of the pistil - nails.
Passionflower is a liana, when growing it needs support, it is possible to use a trellis or trellis. It grows rapidly and requires more and more space. Frequently, the passionflower is used for vertical landscaping of premises.
Care instructions
Lighting. House plants of passionflower love bright direct light, do not require shading if they have enough moisture in the air and ground. Grow passionflow can be on the east and west windows. In the summer on the southern windows in very hot hours it is better to lighten it a little. The plant grows normally in the shade, but then the flowering will be more scarce. Passionflower needs constant access to fresh air, so it is recommended to take it out in the summer to open warm places. But if in the room the pot with the plant stands in the shade, then first you need to accustom it to bright sunlight. The same should be done after the winter, when there were few bright days, so you can avoid sunburn. In winter, it is recommended to install additional fluorescent lights in room conditions.
Temperature regime. In spring and summer, the optimal temperature for passiflora is 21-26 ° C. In winter, the temperature should be lowered to 14-18 ° C in connection with the onset of the rest period.
Watering. Spring and summer should be watered abundantly after the upper layer of the substrate dries. The soil in the pot must always be moist, in any case do not allow the earthen coma to dry out. On the other hand, it is inadmissible to fill the plant with water, leading to its stagnation in the pan. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced, but does not stop. Passionflower loves periodic spraying of well-settled non-cold water. In winter it should be sprayed in very dry air. To prevent this, it is recommended to plant the plant on a pallet with moist peat, expanded clay or pebbles. This will increase the humidity in the room. Remember that the pot should not touch the water bottom. Passiflora content in very low humidity conditions provokes falling of buds and settling it with a spider mite.
Top dressing. From March to August, Passionflowers have an active growth, and the plant requires fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. Do this 1 time in 1-2 weeks. In winter, during a rest period, it is not necessary to feed. Formation of the plant. Often passiflora grows, winding on a trellis or a circle, reaching at the same time 10 m in length. After the flowering and fruiting period, too long bare shoots should be removed. To do this, you need to untwist the plant, and with a secateur cut half (no more than 3/4) of long shoots. You can not trim shoots to the main stem, you should leave 3-4 cm of shoot. After this procedure, pass the passionflower on the support back. Removing the remains of old shoots is possible only when new ones start to grow. Do this with the utmost care. In this way you will regulate the size and shape of the passionflower. However, you should not abuse the pruning, you do not need to remove all shoots at a time, otherwise the plant will become weak. In the procedure of pruning, a large number of roots are killed. They can rot, become infected with fungus, which eventually leads to the death of the whole plant, weakened by pruning. Some species, for example, passiflora racemose, do not tolerate pruning to the stumpy areas of the stalk, then a new shoot is not formed. Nevertheless, trimming in life passiflora plays an important role, since the buds are tied only on young shoots.
Transfer. Plants passiflora belong to rapidly growing plants. The more space there is for the roots, the more powerful the plant will be. If you transplant passionflower every year, then soon she will need a huge tub, so adult plants should be transplanted no more often than once in 2-3 years. Young plants are transplanted every year, but do not use large pots if there is no purpose to grow a huge plant. Often, instead of transplanting an adult plant, a depleted top layer of the substrate in the pot is replaced with a new nutrient. The transplant is performed in the spring, usually at the end of March or early April. When transplanting, long shoots should be shortened, and central stems not shorter than 14-20 cm from their base, lateral branches up to 6-10 cm.
Composition of the soil. Passiflora - plants that grow well on humus soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction - pH around 6. A mixture consisting of equal parts of foliage, turf, sand, peat and humus can be used. Passionflower is also grown in a mixture of the following composition: humus and leaf earth, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 2. Of the ready commercial mixtures suitable are mixtures for senpolia, begonia and lemon. Passiflora is well cultivated by hydroponics technology. The first time after transplanting the plant water with caution, gradually increase watering as the development of young shoots.
If you have a desire to grow a large plant, then you should use a pot with a diameter of 25-50 cm.
If you do not want the plant to grow, transplant the passionflower into a small pot and trim neatly. Tightness will restrain the rapid growth of roots. Note that the growing of passionflowers in a clay pot requires more frequent watering.
These houseplants are propagated vegetatively (cuttings) and rarely by seeds.