regnum-plantae:

Passiflora quadrangularis, Passifloraceae

A random stop at the Winter Gardens really paid off as I finally got to see the giant granadilla (almost) in bloom. Back in July, when I found another stunning, large-leaved Passiflora covered in flowers, the scarlet perfumed passionflower (P. vitacea), I made a mental note to pop around here and there to try and catch it at the right moment, and I probably missed by only a few days or so.

This large perennial vine is widespread in the tropics and is mostly known as the Passiflora which produces the largest edible fruit, weighing up to 4 kg. The long sprawling stems are characterised by four projecting edges, to which the specific epithet quadrangularis refers to, and support large heart-shaped leaves that would shade easily any structure the plant could climb on. I still have to see a boring passionflower, and the giant granadilla doesn’t disappoint with its large, sweetly scented blooms in shades of pink and purple. It can easily be propagated via seed and cuttings and it eventually forms a tuber from which the aerial parts can grow back if you’re trying to raise it too far from the tropics, but ultimately it requires consistently warm conditions to flower and fruit, so a heated glasshouse is the only place I could find it in, here in Glasgow.