passionfruit

[aestarte]

Hi could I just ask a quick question I know it's not wildlife as such but we have got a huge passion flower bush that has just started to grow fruit. My daughter has just informed me while i was getting exited about my fruit that english passion fruit is poisonous. Does anyone know if this is true. I wouldnt have eaten it all but it's a shame if we cant enjoy it as well as the wasps, bugs and birds as well.

[Paul mabbott]

The Passiflora fruit that commonly grows in southern England (we've now got it in Sheffield, actually) - I forget the name - is not poisonous. Equally, it's not that great as a fruit either unless you've fed and watered it.
Some species of Passiflora do produce mildly toxic or unpleasant fruits so I would check yours although, to the best of my knowledge, they don't grow outdoors in UK.
When we had lots of this, some years we would chopped it up and freeze into ice cream - it wasn't worth serving as a special fruit.

Originally Posted by aestarte

Hi could I just ask a quick question I know it's not wildlife as such but we have got a huge passion flower bush that has just started to grow fruit. My daughter has just informed me while i was getting exited about my fruit that english passion fruit is poisonous. Does anyone know if this is true. I wouldnt have eaten it all but it's a shame if we cant enjoy it as well as the wasps, bugs and birds as well.

[Tiggrx]

The usual species grown outdoors in this country is the Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) - I think they need a bit more heat & sun to ripen properly than they usually get in this country. Some that I picked in Buenos Aires tasted great!

[Paul mabbott]

'aestarte' doesn't say where (s)he is - I suspect not in BA! I've always gone for the big grenadines myself - rich and slightly bitter and, in my experience, impossible to grow in London ...

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

The usual species grown outdoors in this country is the Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) - I think they need a bit more heat & sun to ripen properly than they usually get in this country. Some that I picked in Buenos Aires tasted great!

[aestarte]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

'aestarte' doesn't say where (s)he is - I suspect not in BA! I've always gone for the big grenadines myself - rich and slightly bitter and, in my experience, impossible to grow in London ...

Hi I am from somerset and it appears that i am too late anyway as a cheeky smart wasp has started without me which has made way for other bugs and of course my resident mouse.Thanks for the info though.Fi.X X X X

[flood53]

Hi having read the messages under passion fruit i find it very interesting that there seems to be some differences over the growing of this plant, here in Sale Gtr.Manchester we have an enormous plant growing down one side of our garage, it has always flowered well and the fruit we get is edible albeit only the size of a squash ball !!

[aestarte]

Originally Posted by flood53

Hi having read the messages under passion fruit i find it very interesting that there seems to be some differences over the growing of this plant, here in Sale Gtr.Manchester we have an enormous plant growing down one side of our garage, it has always flowered well and the fruit we get is edible albeit only the size of a squash ball !!

Hi thanks for that but alas the bugs win, they can have it also I caught a mouse struggling with one of the fruits quite funny to watch really but thanks for the advice. It's still flowering like mad as well. I dont know much about passion flower all I know is that we bought this little plant home last year and it has gone completely crazy. Fi. X X X X