Herb. No. 224 · Passifloraceae
Southern Brazil and Paraguay; a farmed vine from Hawaii to Kenya to Australia.
Native · South America
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Passion fruit
Passiflora edulis
A wrinkled purple shell full of seedy pulp — perfume in a spoon, and a different species from the maypop leaf tea.
Passion fruit is a South American vine grown for the aromatic pulp. Traditional use is as ripe fruit, juice, and dessert. Culinary pulp is the path. The medicinal passionflower plate is P. incarnata (maypop), a leaf. Wrinkled shells are ripe, not spoiled. Yellow types (flavicarpa) are larger and more acid.
Flavor
Tropical perfume, acid, seedy crunch. A ripe one smells through the shell.
Parts used
Ripe pulp and seed
Helpful
- A vine that fruits in a warm season
- Wrinkled means ready
Cautions
- Confusion with maypop leaf medicine
- Pulp stains
- Cold winters kill the vine