Passion Flower Container Care: How To Grow Passion Fruit Vines In Pots

Passion Fruit Vines In Containers
potted passiflora plant
(Image credit: Plateresca)

Passion flowers are truly remarkable. Their blooms can pass in as little as a day, but while they’re around, they’re outstanding. With certain varieties, they are even followed by the incomparable passion fruit. Passion flowers are native to South America and only the hardiest cultivars can survive winters as cold as USDA zone 6. It is because of this, many people choose to grow passion fruit vines in pots that can be moved indoors during the cold months. Keep reading for information on caring for passion flowers in pots.

Container Grown Passion Flowers

Passion fruit vines need very large containers. If you’re transplanting, choose a container that’s two to three times the size of your current one. Fill your container with well-draining, nutrient-rich potting material. Passion fruit vines are fantastic growers and climbers, often gaining 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) of length in a single year. This means it’s essential to give the vine some kind of growing structure, like a trellis or a chain-link fence. Position your container grown passion flowers about one foot (31 cm.) away from your structure. Even if you’re planning on moving your vine indoors for the winter, it’s alright to let it climb a fixed outdoor object. When winter comes, you can cut the vine down to 1 or 2 feet (31-61 cm.) high so it can be easily stored indoors. It’s such a fast grower that it will easily make up for the lost length in the spring.

Caring for Passion Flowers in Pots

Passion flower container care isn’t too difficult. Keep the soil moist, but don’t overwater. Make sure your container drains readily. Position your container in full sun, unless you live in an area with steady, intense heat. If that’s the case, place your vine in partial shade. Fertilize your vine regularly. That’s it! Now that you know how easy it is to grow passion vines in containers, you can enjoy yours both indoors and out.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.