When to plant and prune Passion flower (blue passion flower)
Passion flower (blue passion flower) flowers from mid June to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Passion flower (blue passion flower) is timed from the average frost dates, so its timings shift across the UK. Plot works them out from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid April to early May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | late April to mid May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid April to early May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | early May to late May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| East Anglia | mid May to early June | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late May to mid June | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | early May to late May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Northern England | late May to mid June | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early June to late June | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late June to mid July | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Northern Ireland | mid May to early June | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | mid April to early May | mid June to early October | early March to late March |
Growing notes
Climbs by tendrils, so it needs a trellis or horizontal wires to grip — it will not cling to bare brick. Even the hardy blue passion flower is only reliably hardy in towns, cities and mild coastal gardens.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 200 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 600 cm
- Eventual spread
- 300 cm
- Hardiness
- H4
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 45 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Feeding
General fertiliser in spring, then a liquid feed every four to six weeks from March to October.
Pruning: what to avoid
Cut it back in spring, not autumn. Leaving the top growth on over winter gives the crown some protection, and frost-damaged stems are easier to judge once growth restarts.
Pruning group
Prune annually in early spring: remove old flowered stems back to the main framework and cut out frost-damaged growth. Renovate by cutting back to 30-60cm.
Winter protection
In colder gardens wrap the stems with insulating material over winter; container plants can be moved into a frost-free place.
What usually goes wrong
- bud drop if the soil dries out
- aphids
- cucumber mosaic virus
- top growth killed by hard frost
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for passion flower (blue passion flower).