Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Banana Passion Fruit (Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Banana passion fruit, Curuba, Tumbo.

More about banana passion fruit

About Banana Passion Fruit

Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima · also called Banana passion fruit, Curuba · tropical

Banana passion fruit is a vigorous high-Andean climbing vine bearing soft pink flowers and elongated yellow banana-shaped fruit with tangy, aromatic pulp. Cooler-growing than tropical passion fruit, it tolerates light frost and brisk highland conditions. Fast and rampant, it needs strong support and is regarded as invasive in some warm regions, so contain it carefully.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) · RHS H2 (10-25°C)

What banana passion fruit's hardiness rating actually means

Banana Passion Fruit is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Banana Passion Fruit shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for banana passion fruit as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can banana passion fruit go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when banana passion fruit can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline banana passion fruit

Banana Passion Fruit is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Banana Passion Fruit hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is banana passion fruit cold hardy?

Banana Passion Fruit is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) (and sheltered UK gardens) banana passion fruit can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature banana passion fruit can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Banana Passion Fruit shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is banana passion fruit?

Banana Passion Fruit is rated USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can banana passion fruit survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (tolerates light frost; cooler-growing than tropical passionfruit) or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect banana passion fruit from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.