SafePlants

Passiflora × belotii

Passiflora × belotii is a captivating hybrid passion flower, celebrated for its exquisite beauty and delightful fragrance.

Considerations for Pets

• This plant is a vine that uses tendrils to cling to its host.
• The plant produces egg-shaped fruit that is noted as inedible.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Passiflora × belotii
• Synonyms: Several names, including Passiflora alatocaerulea, Passiflora belotii hort. ex Pepin, and various cultivar names like 'Imperatrice Eugenie' ('Empress Eugenie'). Due to its hybrid origin and common cultivation, it has accumulated a "slough of cumbersome names."
• Parents: Hybrid of Passiflora alata and Passiflora caerulea.
• Family: Passifloraceae

Distribution and Habitat

• Originates as a hybrid; its parent species are native to South America.
• Commonly grown in gardens.

Morphology and Growth Habits

• Evergreen climber in frost-free areas, semi-evergreen vine in colder climates.
• Climbs using tendrils, reaching 20-30 feet in length.
• Leaves are three-lobed and green.
• Flowers are large (3.5-4 inches or 10-12cm), with blue, pink, and white coloration.

Flowering and Fragrance

• Fragrant flowers bloom during the summer months, often abundantly.
• The scent is described as a mouth-watering lemon fragrance or similar to "Refreshers" sweets.

Cultivation

• Easy to grow and blooms generously, potentially throughout the year under correct climate conditions.
• Minimum temperature: 0°C (32°F).

Quirky Facts

• The cultivar 'Imperatrice Eugenie' was named in honor of the wife of Emperor Napoleon III of France.

Sterility

• The hybrid is sterile and does not produce viable fruit.

External Resources

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) provides help and information on Passiflora × belotii 'Perfume Passion' (PBR).
• B and T World Seeds database.
• GRIN Taxonomy checklist