Passion fruit originated in southern Brazil, and was carried to northern Argentina from Paraguay. The yellow variety is sometimes said to be of origins unknown, but perhaps it came from the Amazon parts of Brazil. The purple passion fruit grows in Australia and was brought to Queensland in the years before 1900. The purple variety was planted for the first time in Hawaii in about 1880, from seeds brought from Australia.

The purple passion fruit is a subtropical plant, and it usually needs a climate that is frost-free. But there are some varieties of the plant that can withstand temperatures as low as the upper twenties without any serious damage. California has many passion fruit growers, and it can be found as far north as the San Francisco Bay, the Monterey Bay and San Jose. In cooler areas, some vines will lose leaves in the winter, but the roots will quite often resprout, even if the top of the plant dies.

As much as the passion fruit enjoys warmth, it does not grow well if placed in intense heat. And they do need protection from the wind, as well. Rainfall in the areas they grow should average roughly thirty-five inches annually. If your outdoor climate doesn’t allow you to grow these lovely plants outdoors, you can grow them indoors.

This plant is a vine with great clinging and climbing capabilities. It clings by green tendrils to almost any support it can find. It can grow up to twenty feet in one year, once it is well-established and has a good support system. The passion fruit usually only lives a total of five to seven years. The evergreen leaves are three-lobed when they are fully mature, and are finely toothed. They range in length from three to eight inches, and they are darker above and paler below. » Read more: Facts About Passion Fruit