Purple Passion Plant
Purple Passion Plant: Care And Growth
The purple passion plant is a wondrous vine species whose brilliance is determined by the amount of direct sunlight afforded it. The more direct sunlight, the brighter the purple hue obtained from the leaves and stems of the purple passion plant. Its blooms are orange, and quite large at over an inch in diameter, but they give an unpleasant odor and are not considered as favorable bouquet cuttings. The most beloved feature of this species is the shockingly beautiful foliage. When potted, this plant can reach outward and upward an excess of ten feet before reaching maximum size. They climb well which makes them the perfect addition to sunny trellises and patio awnings. The purple passion plant is a perennial, which means that it will go dormant during the resting or winter months, rejuvenating with the following growth season.
You may want to cut your purple passion plant back considerably when fall strikes, and they often benefit greatly from having the bulk of their stems cut back to less than 6 inches from the base. Much like the rose plant, this guy likes a fresh start and plenty of nutrition storage throughout the non-blooming season. Cleaning up the vine structure should be made easier with the use of some simple garden shears or scissors. Be careful in high places, as your safety should trump all other matters. Also, be sure to fertilize your purple passion plant regularly, but use a fertilizer solution which is diluted to half the strength recommended on the package. If the food is too strong for the plant its coloration and growth rate will suffer. It is much better to offer a consistent feeding of lesser strength.
The purple passion plant propagates very easily. To accomplish this, you will need just a fresh snippet of the plant taken from the end of any stem. The soil compound that you should use for this new growth will be the same as that which you used to nurture the adult plant. 2 parts peat moss and 1 part sand works well for creating proper density and drainage of this often finicky plant species. You can accomplish the propagation of a new purple passion plant during any time of the year, though late fall cuttings will be more likely to take root if they are nurtured indoors.
As mentioned, be sure to offer your purple passion plant an abundance of sunlight. Shaded plants will lack luster and color, and will often die off piece by piece. Transplanting is not a difficult task, nor is moving the pot, though you may need to trim away some more established vines if the need for heightened sun exposure arises.