Passiflora ligularis aka Sweet Granadilla

Passiflora ligularis, also known as sweet granadilla or grenadia, is a vigorous, evergreen climber native to the Andes Mountains and found in various countries including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. It can also be found in other tropical mountain regions of Africa and Australia. This plant species has heart-shaped leaves with prominent veins and fragrant flowers that are greenish-white with lilac-white petals surrounding bluish-purple and white banded coronal filaments. The flowers are followed by edible round fruit that is orange-yellow in color with small light markings. The fruit has a hard and slippery outer shell with soft padding on the inside to protect the seeds. The gelatinous sphere of transparent pulp surrounding the hard black seeds is the edible part, which has a soft sweet taste and is highly aromatic. The fruit is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as phosphorus, iron, and calcium. Passiflora ligularis grows in climates with temperatures ranging from 15° to 18 °C and annual rainfall between 600 and 1000 mm. It thrives at altitudes of 1700 to 2600 meters above sea level. This plant is commonly cultivated in Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya, with major importers being the United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain. Passiflora ligularis has long stems that can scramble over the ground or climb into surrounding vegetation using coiling tendrils.