The tacsonias have at various times been a separate species, or made a supersection within passiflora (which is where they are now) they are both fascinating and wonderful because they are pollinated by hummingbirds, have big flowers and have wonderful colours. They also produce edible fruit, what more could you want (other than a scent which they don’t have, but that’s just being greedy)?
Passiflora tarminiana is what you may have grown if you have bought P. mollissima or grown it from seed. P. tarminiana is paler and the flower reflexes beyond horizontal as above, while P. mollissima remains bowl shaped (see below). This produces edible fruit and is grown commercially in some countries. P. mollissima has the better taste
Passiflora mollissima: The other thing that distinguished it from P. tarminiana is the leaves which are darker and bigger. When you see P. tarminiana growing you can appreciate why it is considered the equivalent of bindweed in some warmer parts of the world!
Passiflora antioquiensis: For most of the 20th century the hybrid P. x exoniensis was mistakenly sold as P. antioquiensis. This confusion still exists (if the flowers hand on peduncles[flower stems] less than a foot long then it’s the hybrid). This species is tricky to overwinter hence the old photo; we don’t currently have it.
Passiflora x exoniensis: – is often mis sold as P. antioquiensis but is in fact P. antioquiensis x P. mollissima (or possibly P. tarminiana). It is a formula rather than a named hybrid so there is some variation in the forms around. The name derives from Veitch’s nursery in Exeter, referenced by the name. Forget all that because it is a beautiful and easy hybrid
Passiflora mixta is another fine species which we used to grow. However, having lost it we discovered a hybrid from it, P. ‘Coral Seas’ (see below) so are not currently looking for a replacement.
Passiflora ‘Coral Seas’ is a wonderful plant, hardy down to 2 degrees C or lower and has incredible vigour. We bed it out on a rope swag every year and it makes about 25 feet of growth in each direction producing a bounty of flowers. Although you can’t generally dig up passionflowers once they are in the ground, this is because they have deep roots after their second year. If they are dug up at the end of their first season, trimmed back and put in a 20 or 30 litre pot in the greenhouse they can keep going almost indefinitely.
Devon Subtropical Garden 