Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Banana passionfruit bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Banana passionfruit, Red banana passion flower, Curuba de Castilla (Passiflora antioquiensis).

More about banana passionfruit

About Banana passionfruit

Passiflora antioquiensis · also called Banana passionfruit, Red banana passion flower · flowering

Banana passionfruit is a spectacular high-altitude Colombian climber producing pendulous, deep rose-pink flowers up to 12 cm across, followed by elongated yellow-orange fruit with edible pulp. Unlike most passionflowers, it thrives in cool montane conditions. Ideal for temperate greenhouses or mild coastal gardens, it attracts hummingbirds in its native range.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower in warm conditions: P. antioquiensis requires cool nights (below 16°C) to initiate flowering. In warm lowland gardens or heated rooms, it grows vigorously but rarely blooms. A cool conservatory or alpine house is more suitable.

The reasons banana passionfruit isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming banana passionfruit traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding banana passionfruit a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get banana passionfruit to flower

Maximise sun. Give banana passionfruit the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for banana passionfruit and get the feeding right with the banana passionfruit fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Banana passionfruit flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full banana passionfruit care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Banana passionfruit blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my banana passionfruit flower?

Banana passionfruit blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make banana passionfruit bloom?

Give banana passionfruit the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does banana passionfruit normally bloom?