Passion Fower

To most people the word passion flower(passiflora) conjures up pictures of exotic locations and peoples, and of fruit with mysterious and aphrodisiac qualities. This is not far from the truth. The vines that produce the passion flower are beautifully intricate and richly colourful plants. They originate from the tropical rain forest regions of the New World (South America), and the ripe passion flower fruit posses an aromatic flavour not found in any other fruit. It was introduced in the seventeenth century following Jacomo Bosio's acclaimed description of the passion flower floral marvel.

It was not until the the early nineteenth century that most newly discoverd passion flower was collected and cultivated in european botanical gardens and private conservatories. By the early twentieth century the popularity of the ornamental was at its height.
South America is the true home for 95 per cent of all passion flower plants, the remainder coming from Asia, Australia and North America. Africa, so often
associated with the grandillia, P.edulis,
and other species, has no indigenous
passion flower.