Banana passionfruit
Passiflora mollissima

Family: Passifloraceae

What it is like

A vigorous vine. It has a leaf with 3 lobes. The vine has tendrils by which it attaches to other plants. The flowers are pink and about 7.5 cm across. The fruit is long and yellow, 5-12 cm long x 3-4 cm diameter. It contains several hard black seeds.

There are about 400 Passiflora species.

Where it is found

It continuously wet areas in temperate or high altitude tropical regions the plant can spread rapidly climbing trees for support. It is suited to colder highland conditions in the tropics. It grows wild over 2500 m altitude in Papua New Guinea. Plants will fruit between 1600 and 2800 m altitude in the tropics. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. It is sensitive to frost.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andes, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Britain, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, East Africa, Ecuador, Europe, Hawaii, India, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, SE Asia, South America, Tasmania, USA, Venezuela (country/location of origin), Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten when ripe. It is also used for drinks, ice creams, fruit salads, jellies, pies, puddings, sauces, and made into a liqueur. The juice is fermented into wine.

It is widely cultivated. In Papua New Guinea is common and fairly popular fruit in very high altitude areas.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Seeds can be sown in a nursery and then transplanted. Almost always grown from seeds, but it can be propagated by cuttings. Bottom heating the seeds at 20-26°C can result in germination at 1-2 weeks, at lower temperatures seeds can take up to 10 weeks to germinate. Plants need a framework to climb over.

Up to 300 fruit can be produced from a well established vine.

Its other names

Local names

Banana poka, Curuba, Gurua, Passiflora, Tasco

Synonyms

Murucuia mollissima (Kunth) Spreng.; Murucuja mollissima (Kunth) Spreng.; Passiflora tomentosa var. mollissima (Kunth) Triana & Planch.; Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima (Kunth) L. H. Bailey; Tacsonia mollissima Kunth; Tasconia mollissima var. glabrescens Mast.;