Many “Passi” newcomers (as passion flowers are often called by their lovers) are surprised by the great diversity of species in the Passiflora family. There are over 500 different species, most of which come from South America and sometimes differ greatly in shape, color and size. Cultivation and care also depend on the specific species.
Where can I get passion flower seeds and how do I prepare them?
Passionflower seeds are available in garden centers, online or from the fruits of Passiflora edulis (passion fruit) and Passiflora ligularis (Grenadilla). Fresh seeds germinate better; dried ones should be soaked in warm water beforehand.
Where can I get seeds?
You can easily obtain the dried seeds of various types of passion flowers from garden centers or online. But be careful: Many a clever dealer on well-known internet sales platforms tries to sell Passiflora edulis seeds as an exotic rarity for a lot of money. However, this is completely normal passion fruit, the fruit of which you can buy for a few cents in almost any supermarket. You can get over 100 seeds from such a fruit, which are very germinative, especially with this type of Passiflora. The same applies to Passiflora ligularis, the grenadilla. Otherwise, you are always well advised to use seeds from well-known brand manufacturers (€6.00 on Amazon). If you already have one or more passion flowers, you can of course hope for fruit - or simply propagate the plant from cuttings.
Fresh seeds germinate best
Incidentally, for most types of passionflower, fresh seeds germinate much better (and faster!) than dried ones. The seed kernels are freed from the pulp surrounding them, with sucking being a very effective and tasty method - but only for the edible Passiflora species. Now rinse the core carefully and plant it directly in the potting soil; more effort is basically not necessary. Only dried seeds should be soaked in warm water before sowing; some gardeners also swear by warm orange juice. The longer a seed has been dried, the longer it takes to germinate. Some seeds only sprouted after a year of waiting!
Tips & Tricks
Particularly the Passiflora species that come from the Australian continent need to be stratified before sowing, but in a different way than you are usually used to. Australian passion flower seeds need heat to germinate. That's why you need to simulate a small "bush fire" with the help of matches and some twigs. The Australian species include: Passiflora aurantia, P. cinnabarina, P. samoensis and P. herbertiana.
