Passiflora karwinskii | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

DESCRIPTION:

Those who want a hanging passionflower plant can choose this small, unknown species, native to the mountainous areas of Mexico. Unlike most passionflowers, it has little aptitude for climbing, so much so that it is almost always devoid of tendrils. Therefore, it has the ideal characteristics for being grown in pots to hang in the home or, in summer, in the garden. It will produce numerous dense shoots of small leaves, of 3-5 lobes, on which numerous flowers with soft, delicate colours will bloom in profusion and continuously.

To enhance the scenic effect, you can use wide-diameter, shallow containers in which to put various specimens together. The mass of shoots, leaves and flowers thus obtained will offer surprising richness.

 Its stems are light, short and with an angled cross-section. The internodes are short, resulting in the plant having very abundant foliage.

Its leaves, only 3-4 cm in width and length, are all curved, being 5 deeply incised lobes with rounded indentations and equally curved apices. Two small symmetrical glands enrich the petiole near the attachment with the leaf blade.

 The flowers, with a diameter of about 5 cm and an intense white and mauve colour, have much longer sepals than petals. In fact, the former reach 2 cm in length, are white with purple spots and narrow with a pointed apex. The latter, alternating with the former, are about 1 cm long and white. The corona is darker and contrasts with the colour of the corolla. It consists of a series of forward-protruding filaments, purplish in colour at the base and fading to brown and creamy yellow at the apex. The spherical fruits have a diameter of about 3 cm.

While vegetating, the plant is demanding in terms of temperature, requiring both light and heat. If the temperatures drop, it goes dormant, losing the aerial part. In such a condition, it can tolerate colder temperatures and short periods of frost. In fact, it has strong woody roots that can sometimes be visible on the surface. If towards autumn, signs of defoliation are noticed, it is not necessary to continue watering it (so avoiding damaging it). While dormant, in fact, it must be kept dry, until there are signs of awakening. If you have rooms with temperatures above 12°C, you can prevent this process and so keep it active even through the winter.

 It is better grown in soil that is well-drained. I recommend using multipurpose soil mixed with a low percentage of sand. However, it requires frequent and regular watering, without waiting for the soil to dry out.

Its seeds germinate easily, and vegetative propagation also offers sure results.