Welcome to Passiflora gritensis - one of the most beautiful of all Passifloras!  Its flashy, hot-pink petals are topped with frilly, orange & white filaments, which hummingbirds can't resist.  This beauty is a naturally-occurring species, not a cultivated hybrid.  It comes from mountain rainforests in Venezuela and neighboring Colombia.  It is a cool-climate species that is untested in warm conditions.  It's quite rare in cultivation, and rarely seen for sale.

Passiflora gritensis is a vigorous, medium-sized vine with 3-lobed leaves.  It blooms throughout spring and summer here in San Francisco.  Each 4 inch wide blossom is suspended by a very long stem about 9 to 12 inches long, which bends around to display the flower upright to birds.  The plant may be cross-bred with some other Passiflora species to create exciting new hybrids.

It is found in the Andes from about 2000 to 2500 meter elevation, where temperatures are mild all year and nights are cool.  I have no experience with it in hot conditions, but some other Passifloras from the same elevation dislike heat, especially when nights are warm.  I suspect it might not flower if temperatures regularly get above the low 80s (29 degrees C) or nights are above 65°F (18°C).  I don't think it can survive more than a light frost.  It prefers filtered sunlight, with protection from strong afternoon sun.  Like most Passifloras, it enjoys moist, well-draining soil of good fertility.  Over about 40-50% humidity is preferred by this rainforest plant.

Photos 1 & 4 used with permission of Grazyna Hahn Mendoza

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Germination tips for this plant