Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Red Passion Flower bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Scarlet Passion Flower, Red Granadilla, Red Passionfruit (Passiflora coccinea).

More about red passion flower

About Red Passion Flower

Passiflora coccinea · also called Scarlet Passion Flower, Red Granadilla · flowering

Passiflora coccinea is a tropical climbing passion flower native to northern South America, producing vivid scarlet-red flowers and edible yellow-orange fruits. It is a fast-growing vine requiring warmth, high humidity, and full sun. Best suited to heated glasshouses or tropical gardens. Toxic to pets — contains cyanogenic compounds similar to other Passiflora.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor flowering under glass: Most commonly caused by insufficient sun penetration or overcrowding. Prune to improve light access and ensure direct sun reaches the canopy.

The reasons red passion flower isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming red passion flower 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 red passion flower 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 red passion flower to flower

Maximise sun. Give red passion flower 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 red passion flower and get the feeding right with the red passion flower 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

Red Passion Flower 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 red passion flower care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Red Passion Flower blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my red passion flower flower?

Red Passion Flower 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 red passion flower bloom?

Give red passion flower 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 red passion flower normally bloom?