Passiflora byron beauty | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

DESCRIPTION:

This hybrid produces very large, dark coloured flowers with a wide showy corona of very curled filaments. The flower is impressively spectacular and its size is possibly due to pollen from tetraploid specimens having been used (the number of chromosomes was artificially quadrupled).

Its beauty lies entirely in the thick corona, which completely covers the corolla of a very light violet colour. The filaments depart straight from the centre and, only when they have surpassed the length of the petals and sepals, do they suddenly curl gracefully, abandoning their dark violet shade for white. I happened to admire a large specimen outdoors in Liguria, right in the period of full bloom, and I remember feeling incredulous and quite stunned in the face of such beauty.

P. 'Byron Beauty' is fairly well suited to those who live in regions with a harsh winter climate: it blooms easily albeit small in size. The rooted cuttings, which are easy to obtain, immediately start to sprout buds that, in a short time, are filled with flowers. In this way, you will also have flowers in small pots, to be kept indoors during the winter season.

The flower exceeds 12 cm in diameter. The trilobate leaves have wide pointed lobes, serrated margins, deep green colour and shiny blades. They are very similar to those of P. edulis, although the colour is darker.

They are very hardy since, in winter, they can withstand up to 2°C and a few short-lived touches of frost are not fatal.

The Italian climatic zones that allow the outdoor cultivation of this extraordinary hybrid are therefore easily identifiable: Liguria, coastal areas of the great lakes of northern Italy, and central-southern Italy.

Reproduction occurs only vegetatively: stem or root cutting.