Home

Strange Wonderful Things

 Rare and exotic plants

Turquoise Puya

Passiflora bicuspidata

This is a close look at the rare and beautiful Passiflora bicuspidata from mountain cloud forests in Colombia.  This showy vine becomes covered with loads of bright pink, bell-shaped blossoms with a ring of yellow filaments inside.  A picture of it growing in the wild is here.  Unfortunately this species is probably heat-sensitive, so it might not be suitable for warm climates.  I don't know anyone else currently offering this plant.

 It is a compact vine that is easy to control, growing well in a 3 gallon container.  It has unusual leaves that are very slender, with little resemblance to typical Passifloras.  The blooms are fairly petite - about 1½ inches tall & wide - but they are quite numerous, especially in spring & summer.  The vine occasionally makes small, purple fruit that is oval-shaped.  I don't know if they are edible.  The plant should be able to cross-breed with some other Passifloras, particularly those of the subgenus Decolaba.

It comes from a climate that is mild during the day, and cool at night, so it does best in those conditions.  It is reported to dislike heat, so consider it experimental where temperatures regularly get above 85 degrees F (29 C), particularly if nights are warm.  I don't know if it can tolerate frost.  It grows best in filtered sunlight, and does not like strong afternoon sun.  Like most Passifloras, it enjoys fertile, well-draining soil that's kept evenly moist.  Over about 40-50% humidity is best.  In the right conditions, it's a vigorous vine.

 

Check availability

 

Home

Strange Wonderful Things

Rare and exotic plants

Turquoise Puya

Entire site Copyright 2003-2023 by Strange Wonderful Things, except as noted