The Passiflora edulis, or passion fruit, is a tropical vine that is native to parts of South America. Some other names for it are passion flower and passion vine.
Pros of Passion Fruit Vine 
- Vigorous grower
- Very little fertilizer and water input (I water mine weekly but rarely ever give it fertilizer)
- Produces beautiful flowers and tasty fruit
Passion Fruit Uses
The vine can produce an abundance of delightful fruit which, depending on what kind you have, are a little smaller than a baseball. The fruit is sweet and tangy and is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. The fruit can be used in juices, desserts, as a flavor agent, and even in salads, you can also eat it raw too (for best taste wait for the fruit to fall off and get slightly shriveled). But those are just the edible uses of this plant, the vine itself can be used as a privacy fence if you let it.
This plant also has a plethora of health benefits and medicinal uses too. Because of its high amounts of antioxidants, the fruit is said to have anti cancer properties. It also has high levels of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure in the body. Those are just a couple of the health benefits the list goes on.
Both the fruit and flower have medicinal alkaloids and are known to have mild sedative properties. They act as a very effective mood enhancer, because of this some doctors have used the passion fruit to help treat depression, anxiety, and insomnia. As a precaution I have read that Aspirin should not be taken with passion fruit.
Sources:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/passion-fruit.html
http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380125484_Ingale%20and%20Hivrale.pdf
Personal Experience
My vine is a little under a year old and has not produced yet. In the short time that I have had it, it has grown to be 10 plus feet in length and has a dense green foliage. The vine has had some flowers but not fruit yet. Because of its rapid growth and dense foliage it makes a great privacy fence that my neighbors love and would like to do themselves.
Propagation of Passion Fruit
Seeds- I acquired some seeds from a fruit that I was given and decided to try and grow them. When you cut the fruit in half you will see many black circles covered in pulp, those are the seeds. When i tried to grow the fruit from seeds i had to separate the seed from the pulp and then dry them. I planted the seeds in little pots, watered them, and then placed them outside. I planted about 20 seeds and a little over a month later only one out of the 20 sprouted and even though it sprouted it was short lived.
Cuttings- I recently tried propagating my vine for a friend by taking a cutting from it. I did this by taking a 12 inch cutting and put a dab of honey, I didn’t have rooting hormone and was told that i could substitute with raw honey, on where I cut the vine. I then placed it in a pot of soil with a stick “A” frame for support. It will take about a month before we know if the roots are strong enough to plant (if it doesn’t die and wilt away first).
Future Plans
I plan on planting another passion fruit in the back corner of my yard to try and block the view of my neighbors dog from my dogs view. I would like to try and get a different kind of passion fruit than I already have to keep things interesting.
Cons of Passion Fruit
- Bugs, lizards, and frogs can hide in the buds and dense foliage
- Vigorous grower- can get out of control very fast if not maintained
Conclusion
This is a great plant to use as a privacy fence and is a fast grower. 5 out of 5 stars for lack of fertilizer and water input, fast growth, and taste of the fruit. Check out some other fruiting plants here.
