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passion fruit

Passiflora edulis Sims

Family: Passifloraceae · Genus: Passiflora

purple passion fruit

Placenta II High No biomass production
Бутио Такано · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Brazilian-native woody fruiting climber. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 (grows over high-stratum structures). Fruits in ~9–12 months; short productive cycle (~3 years).

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Medium
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
5–6.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy
Hardiness zones
10–13
Frost tolerance
-1.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
3–10 m
Recommended spacing
2–3 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 5 years
Time to first harvest
9 months
Productive lifespan
3 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Passion fruit takes the High stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High · ≈10 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

A vigorous climber with a shallow root system, trained on trellis; spacing ~2–3 m between plants. Well-drained soil, pH ~5.0–6.5; keep moisture above 80% of field capacity during flowering and fruiting. Grafted seedlings are widely used to control root disease. Long harvest window (8–12 months depending on region), with a short productive cycle (~3 years).

✂️ Management & Pruning

Train 1–2 stems up to the wire, then let the productive branches hang; prune dead shoots and renew the canopy yearly. Tolerates renewal pruning, but commercial plantings are usually renewed every 2–3 years.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of passion fruit?

The first harvest of passion fruit comes around 9 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for passion fruit?

The recommended spacing for passion fruit is 2–3 m.

How tall does passion fruit grow?

At maturity, passion fruit reaches 3–10 m tall.

What stage and stratum does passion fruit occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, passion fruit belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit 🍯 Melliferous Medicinal

Propagation

Seed, Cutting

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Conceitos e princípios práticos da agrofloresta sucessional, Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
  2. www.infoteca.cnptia.embrapa.br (root_system, root_depth, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, cultivation_notes, pruning_notes, productive_lifespan_years)
  3. www.cabidigitallibrary.org (ph_min, ph_max, frost_tolerance_c, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, soil_texture_preference, waterlogging_tolerance)
  4. floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br (biomes, family, genus)

External references

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