Passiflora quadrangularis (Giant Granadilla)

This plant is an evergreen climbing vine native from Colombia to Brazil. It grows mainly in wet tropical habitats and climbs by tendrils. Its stems have four prominently winged angles. Solitary, fragrant flowers are about five inches across, with five sepals, five petals and a corona of purple, white and blue filaments.

The large, melon-like fruits can reach about twelve inches long. Their thick flesh has a mild flavor and can be added to fruit salads, while the jelly-like pulp around the seeds is sweet and tart. Unripe fruits are also boiled and eaten as vegetables. In Colombia, the species is recorded from sea level to about three thousand nine hundred feet. It has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Photographed in Colombia.