15 to 20 feet per year
They can grow 15 to 20 feet per year, once established, and they will need strong support. A plant will live five to seven years, and although they grow best in tropical climes, they will survive temperatures low as 21 Fahrenheit. They will also do well indoors, for all you indoor urban farmers out there.

Lilikoi grow fast, but only if they have enough nutrients. Even with fertile soil, you’ll want to add some organic, slow-release fertilizer, compost, and mulch. They’re hungry plants for sure. Next, make sure that you plant lilikoi near something the vines can climb on.

The lilikoi, while botanically the same species as the purple passion fruit has differing climatic requirements. It is a vigorous vine, often growing over 20ft in a single year.

A great spot for a passionfruit vine is one that’s out in the open, has full sun and no trees or competitive roots. Grow it on a structure like a strong trellis. Passionfruit vines are known for their tendrils, which are little curly spring-like things that attach themselves to wire and really grip on like a python.

Passion Fruit The fruit of the passionflower is often the size of a hen’s egg. The core is packed with seeds, but the edible flesh is delicious and has to be one of the most intensely and enticingly scented of all fruits. The pulp is very sweet and often used for beverages and jams.

Although the purple passion fruit carries a Hawaiian name (lilikoi), passion fruit vines first came to Hawaii from Australia around 1880. However, the purple fruit itself originates from Brazil. The yellow variety of passion fruit is the variety believed to be native to Australia; it didn’t arrive in Hawaii until 1923.

Most lilikoi vines require biotic pollination relying on live pollinators to move pollen from flower to flower. Some species are also capable of self-pollination. Passion vines usually need to be pollinated with pollen from a different vine that is genetically compatible.

12 to 18 months
Passion fruit typically takes 12 to 18 months to bear fruit, so if you plant your seed or seedling in early spring it should be ready to harvest by early summer or fall of the following year. If you live in a tropical climate, the plants will flower and fruit year-round.

Passionfruit vines can take anywhere between 5 – 18 months to fruit, depending on variety and conditions however they usually develop fruit within a year. It helps to plant the vine in spring, so the vine has time to develop in warm conditions and defend itself in the cooler months.

Do you need a male and female plant to produce passionfruit? No. All passionfruit flowers have a male part (stamen) and female part (pistil) which both play a part in pollination.

Keep your vine on a regular watering schedule. You can mulch around the plant to retain moisture and add to microbial activity in the soil but be careful to let the roots dry a bit between waterings. Monitoring pests is also important as pest infested plants can become stressed, which will affect fruit set.

The most overlooked part of lilikoi is without a doubt its vines. Which is strange, since technically lilikoi is a vine, creeping and climbing over anything it can get a grip on. Seriously, these plants will overwhelm your yard if you’re not careful!

What is Lilikoi? Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa is the scientific name for the yellow Passion Fruit most frequently grown in Hawaii. It is a small roundish fruit that grows on a vine, has many seeds, and is used most often to make juice.

Purple liliko’i (P. edulis) is smaller and sweeter than the yellow one. Jamaican liliko’i (P. laurifolia) has bright orange skin and a pleasant floral taste. You can quickly start liliko’i vines from seeds or cuttings.

The name “passion fruit” comes from the Latin genus name Passiflora, which means “passion flower.” Lilikoi refers to a particular passion fruit variation: Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa. This variation is more tart than its commercially cultivated cousin, Passliflora edulis (known commonly as the “purple passion fruit”).