Passiflora elizabeth | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

Passiflora elizabeth, information, classification, temperatures. etymology of Passiflora elizabeth. Discover the Italian Passiflora Collection by Maurizio Vecchia.

Passiflora elizabeth | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OR ORIGIN:

P. phoenicea x P. incarnata.
Hybrid of horticultural origin.


MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 5 °C


IDEAL MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 8 °C


ETYMOLOGY:

Probably dedicated to Elizabeth Peters, owner of the American nursery Grassy Knoll Exotic Plants which also has in its catalogue several passifloras. 


PHOTOGALLERY:


DESCRIPTION:

Patrick Worley has produced many interesting hybrids that have been widely popular. Among these is P. 'Elizabeth'.

P. incarnata has left its traces, especially in the colour of the corolla and the corona, which have a rather unusual lilac hue. The characteristics of P. phoenicea are evident in the robustness of its posture and in the considerable size of the flower (11-12 cm in diameter).

The corona, made up of 7 series of coloured filaments with alternating light and dark bands, however, is very open and of a different shape to that of both parents. It looks like a cup placed on a saucer of the same colour. Furthermore, the shoots are often filled with these large flowers that, due to their weight, face downwards. The whole plant is decidedly spectacular.

The climber is robust in its entirety: stems, flowers and leaves. The latter are trilobate with a very wide base and central lobe. Their texture is leathery and the intense green colour of the upper surface is enriched by a strong brilliance that is also evident on the stems.

P. 'Elizabeth' does not have the exceptional hardiness of P. incarnata, but is rather closer to that of P. phoenicea, in that it withstands a minimum temperature of 2-3°C. Except in regions with a mild climate, where it can be placed in the ground, it must be cultivated in a large pot, commensurate to its conspicuous size. It must be equipped with sturdy supports and possibly guided around them, as it tends to grow in a disordered fashion, stretching out shoots in every direction. In summer, it must be fertilised on a weekly basis, using liquid fertilisers dissolved in the water used for watering.

Propagation is done with stem cuttings.