space for Passiflora roots

[Giannhs]

It is well known that Passiflora incarnata needs limited space for its roots in order to bloom and fruit. If it has ample space, the plant will keep growing but not produce flowers and fruit.
So i wish to know about other Passifloras, should they also have LIMITED space for their roots (e.g. in a pot), or will they produce fruit if they have AMPLE space in the ground for their roots?

[Jct]

My P. Edulis is in the ground and it produces more than we can eat.  I give away boat-loads every year.

[Luisport]

My P. Edulis is in the ground and it produces more than we can eat.  I give away boat-loads every year.

OMG! How lucky you are!   

[giorgosgr.]

I have about 10 or more passiflora edulis some of them are in locations that do not have ample space (near the base of oak trees) and other in open field. All the vines are 2 years old and produce one flower (that sets) for every leaf they grow (and they are really growing!!!) i have not seen any difference in the root bound plants and the open field ones in terms of fruit per leaf growth. The only difference is that the ones in open field are growing faster so more fruit!

[giorgosgr.]

My P. Edulis is in the ground and it produces more than we can eat.  I give away boat-loads every year.

In how many years did it reach the size to produce so much?

[Giannhs]

i got the message: it is only Passiflora incarnata that has to be in a limited space in order to produce fruit. Other Passifloras do better with plenty of space for their roots.
Passiflora incarnata is different in other ways too: it comes from North America and it is more winter hardy.
If it is not a trouble, can you put some photos of Passiflora incarnata leaves, and leaves of any kind called "banana passionfruit" here?
Thank you all.

[Mando408]

My incarnata missed that memo, it (like the rest of my passiflora) doesn't grow for crap in containers for me but once it escapes.... there's no stopping it.

[Kevin Jones]

Here's a few photos:










These are growing in my backyard... but I have many in containers as well.

Kevin Jones

[Forester]

Passiflora incarnata grows even in Russia. In our country it has the name "Northern Passionfruit". I never heard that the roots need limited space. It grows in the ground in a greenhouse and bears fruit well.

[Giannhs]

Passiflora incarnata grows even in Russia. In our country it has the name "Northern Passionfruit". I never heard that the roots need limited space. It grows in the ground in a greenhouse and bears fruit well.

Thank you. Your photo confused me a little because it shows the leaf 3-lobed, while Kevin Jones' photo shows the leaf 5-lobed.

[Forester]

I drew attention to the number of leaves, but it seems to me that the passiflora incarnata has exactly three leaf blades.
https://floridata.com/plant/77

[giorgosgr.]

I drew attention to the number of leaves, but it seems to me that the passiflora incarnata has exactly three leaf blades.
https://floridata.com/plant/77

I believe passiflora incarnata indeed has 3 leaf blades. On the other hand passiflora incense (hybrid of passiflora incarnata) has 5 leaf blades. I dont know the deference in fruits/flowers between the two. The only thing i know is that incense is NOT self pollinating

[lebmung]

Passiflora incarnata is hardy to -15/-16C but they will not survive in clay/waterlogged soil. They flower faster in a container than in soil. Also if you feed them a high N they won't fruit.

[PassionBob]

Kevin, the pictures you provided are of P. 'Incense', a hybrid.  It is self unfruitful, rarely sets fruit otherwise, and is not that good tasting anyway.
P. incarnata will grow just fine in the ground, will flower and set fruit in the ground, but will need a cross pollinator.  If it is grown in a pot, it will flower and set fruit when crossed with another clone/species.  It will not come back from the roots after two years in that pot.  The plant likes to spread out, you will find root runners popping up several feet away from the original planting site.

[Kevin Jones]

Several people have suggested that they are "Incense"
That isn't a species name is it?
Just a variety I would think for marketing and categorizing.
What species is "Incense" a hybrid between?
And you are correct... it pops up everywhere in my yard since it was introduced a few years ago.
Thanks for the info... It's good to hear from the experts... I find this stuff fascinating!

Kevin Jones

[lebmung]

If it is grown in a pot, it will flower and set fruit when crossed with another clone/species.  It will not come back from the roots after two years in that pot.

Mine come back in the pot when are outside, inside a greenhouse they don't die back.
A bamboo root limiter works fine to stop spreading the plant.

[giorgosgr.]

Several people have suggested that they are "Incense"
That isn't a species name is it?
Just a variety I would think for marketing and categorizing.
What species is "Incense" a hybrid between?
And you are correct... it pops up everywhere in my yard since it was introduced a few years ago.
Thanks for the info... It's good to hear from the experts... I find this stuff fascinating!

Kevin Jones

From what i have read it is a hybrid between passiflora incarnata (maypop) and Passiflora cincinnata (Maracuja Mochila).
But i am not sure at all. it only what i have read not verified.
May i ask you, does your passiflora set fruit on its own?

[Kevin Jones]

That's difficult to tell.... I grow incarnates, "Ruby Glows" and Edulis varieties in the same area.
I do a bit of hand pollinating... as well as some help from the bees.
That being said... I have always assumed they required some pollen from other species to set fruit.

Kevin Jones

[Giannhs]

i have never had fruit from any passiflora, but here https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Passiflora+incarnata says P. incarnata IS self fertile (as long as there are insects).

[Kevin Jones]

Check out these "Red Rover" Edulis plants... very much self-fertile and very productiveproductive:
\






Kevin Jones

[greenman62]

ive had Incarnata fruit in a 3gal container before.
just 3 fruit, but very tasty. they need lots of sun and keep the container from getting too hot
( i will put containers inside other larger containers, or paint them white)
and also something to climb.
the vine only grew to about 6ft, but flowered and fruited.


this is my current incarnata , in-ground though.
there can also be a pollination issue if you dont have the right kind of insect
 (usually large bees like carpenters), but you can hand pollinate.

[PassionBob]

Passiflora incarnata is not self fruitful.  Where it grows naturally there are seedlings all over the place, so the bees do the pollenating.
Grown by itself, you need another clone of P. incarnata or another species to get fruit. 
The passiflora that used to be called P. alata 'Ruby Glow' was renamed P. phoenicea. 
Kevin, the plant you have that is labeled P. 'Red Rover' may not be as labeled.  P. 'Red Rover' is a hybrid, just like P. 'Frederick', in fact they are sister clones.  People have been propagating these two by seeds, so the resulting plants are not as labeled.  There may not be true representatives of those two hybrids left out there.
P. 'Incense' is a hybrid from a cross of P. incarnata and P. cincinnata, done by Robert Knight in Florida.

[Kevin Jones]

Interesting... here's what I found with a little digging:

'Incense' (P. cincinnata xP. incarnata) Robert Knight's cultivar.  R. Knight,  Amer.  Hort.  1975.  Vine: vigorous, semi herbaceous, cultivation easy; leaves: deeply five lobed; flowers: large, showy, very fragrant, purple and very deep rich purple; sepals and petals: deep purple; corona filaments: long with frilly fringe,(extend well beyond sepals and petals)  3 or 4 narrow banded of white towards the centre on rich purple,    minimum temperature -4 C or possibly lower. If vegetation is destroyed by frost, regeneration will take place from thick fleshy roots. All stock is infected with mosaic virus. R.H.S. The Award of Garden Merit.

[Jct]

My P. Edulis is in the ground and it produces more than we can eat.  I give away boat-loads every year.

In how many years did it reach the size to produce so much?

Sorry for the delay... It took about a year for it to begin to produce in moderate amounts. I bought it from home depot and it was already a good size, about 4' tall.  My local pollinators tend to ignore the flowers the first part of the year, I guess there are plenty of other flowers that they like better.  So if I want fruit, I have to hand pollinate.  Yesterday I did almost 30!

[TheWaterbug]

My P. Edulis is in the ground and it produces more than we can eat.  I give away boat-loads every year.

In how many years did it reach the size to produce so much?

Sorry for the delay... It took about a year for it to begin to produce in moderate amounts. I bought it from home depot and it was already a good size, about 4' tall.  My local pollinators tend to ignore the flowers the first part of the year, I guess there are plenty of other flowers that they like better.  So if I want fruit, I have to hand pollinate.  Yesterday I did almost 30!

My P. Edulis also started fruiting after about a year. The first year I got a handful of fruit, and every year thereafter it's been dozens.


No hand-pollination required for mine; I don't see any bees on it, ever, but something must be doing the job.