The passion flower not only produces eye-catching flowers, but also fruits that can be used for propagation. In Germany, passionflower cannot be pollinated naturally. You can find out how you can successfully pollinate your passion flower yourself in this article.
How can you pollinate a passionflower yourself?
To successfully pollinate a passion flower, pollinate the flower in the morning with a fine brush or cotton swab. Gently apply pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigmas of another passionflower and protect the pollinated flower with a plastic bag.
How is passion flower naturally pollinated?
The passion flower comes from the tropical regions of South America, but is also widespread in other parts of the world. In nature, the over 500 known species are predominantly pollinatedby hummingbirds and bats. These pollinators are rarely found in the home garden and pollination must therefore be assisted artificially.
Which types of passionflower can be pollinated?
When selecting passionflower for pollination, it is important that the mother and father plants arepassionflowers of the same subgenus. However, they must not be clones like those created when propagated by cuttings. There are also some types of passionflower, including passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), which are self-fertile. This means that a plant can be pollinated with its own pollen. You don't have to have several passion flowers, a single plant is enough for pollination.
What is the best time to pollinate passionflower?
Passion flowers are best pollinatedmorning directly after the flowers open. Some of the flowers are only open for a few hours and are only fertile during this time. They bloom either in the early morning hours or in the dark, which is because in nature they are pollinated by nocturnal bats. For pollination, wait for a day when both the mother and father plants have opened flowers. For hermaphrodite species, only one flower is necessary.
How do you pollinate the flowers of the passionflower?
- Carefully remove some pollen from the anthers using afine brush or cotton swab.
- Gently dab the collected pollen onto the stigmas of the other plant.
- Cover the pollinated flower with a small plastic bag. This ensures that the pollen is not removed by rain or wind and at the same time protects the flower from possible pollination by another passionflower.
Alternatively, you can break off the stamen with tweezers and apply the pollen directly to the stigma.
If pollination is successful, the passion flowers produce fruit within three months.
Tip
Other ways to propagate passion flowers
If pollination doesn't work, you can also propagate passion flowers through cuttings. To do this, cut pieces from the shoots that each contain around three leaves. Plant the cuttings in potting soil and place them in a warm, bright and moist place.
