Passiflora herbertiana aka White Passionflower

Passiflora herbertiana is a perennial vine in the passionflower family. It comes from eastern Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales. Its range spans tropical districts and warm temperate areas farther south. It grows at rainforest edges and in partly cleared ground. It also occurs in moist forests near the coast and inland. People grow it for ornament and gather its wild fruit.

This fast-growing climber uses tendrils to grip nearby plants. Its stems climb and spread through the surrounding growth. Sources give heights of about 20–30 feet [6–9 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants lists 20 feet [6 metres] as its height. Its fuller account describes stems reaching 30 feet [9 metres]. PFAF also gives the greater height. This long growth suits a site with room to climb. PFAF suggests sunny woodland edges and south- or west-facing walls.

The fruit has scented pulp and reaches about 0.23 feet [0.07 metres] long. People eat it fresh or cook it. PFAF gives its food value a score of two out of five. Both plant accounts state that it is not self-fertile. Hand pollination can help growers obtain fruit, especially under glass. Use pollen from a flower that opened about twelve hours earlier. Apply it to a fresh flower before noon. Restricting outdoor roots may also help promote fruiting.

Choose a sunny spot with soil that drains well. The vine needs ample moisture while it grows. It also accepts partial shade, according to PFAF. It can grow in sand, loam, or clay. Its soil range includes mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. Frost can kill the stems, so greenhouse growing suits cold areas. Roots may survive outdoors where the ground does not freeze. New shoots can then grow from the base. Prune in spring and mulch outdoor roots in late autumn.

Grow new plants from seed or spring shoot cuttings. Soak seed in warm water for twelve hours before sowing. Sow under glass in late winter or early spring. Germination can take one to twelve months in warm conditions. Keep young plants under glass for their first winter. Plant them outside once the risk of frost has passed. The sources list no known hazards or medicinal uses. They provide no species-specific account of pests or diseases.