Passiflora Edulis - Washington, DC (8a)

[jwf1983]

Off the topic from palms, our Passiflora Edulis vine roots miraculously survived this past winter.  This year it has taken off, and not only flowering, but fruiting.  We also have Passiflora i, native to the Southeastern US, but I'm excited to hopefully get some fruit to eat from this tropical variety this year.  Our backyard is filled with bees and butterflies at all times.  While the Incarnata variety grows wildly, and randomly out of control, I've found Edulis to be much easier to manage and train along our fence or a trellis.  Just wanted to share.

[Silas_Sancona]

35 minutes ago, jwf1983 said:

Off the topic from palms, our Passiflora Edulis vine roots miraculously survived this past winter.  This year it has taken off, and not only flowering, but fruiting.  We also have Passiflora i, native to the Southeastern US, but I'm excited to hopefully get some fruit to eat from this tropical variety this year.  Our backyard is filled with bees and butterflies at all times.  While the Incarnata variety grows wildly, and randomly out of control, I've found Edulis to be much easier to manage and train along our fence or a trellis.  Just wanted to share.

  That's pretty impressive,  Though i do wonder if maybe you might be a smidge warmer than the currently suggested 8A.  🤔

Regardless,  enjoy the fruit and be glad it stays a little more behaved there.. Grew it myself / Grandparents and other relatives grew these for year growing up and ..un-checked by any winter cold,  they could get pretty massive in a year, let alone after 3 years of growth ...producing so much fruit we never knew what to do w/ it all ( Since everyone who might want fruit already had vines ) .. 
 

[Mazat]

11 hours ago, jwf1983 said:

Off the topic from palms, our Passiflora Edulis vine roots miraculously survived this past winter.  This year it has taken off, and not only flowering, but fruiting.  We also have Passiflora i, native to the Southeastern US, but I'm excited to hopefully get some fruit to eat from this tropical variety this year.  Our backyard is filled with bees and butterflies at all times.  While the Incarnata variety grows wildly, and randomly out of control, I've found Edulis to be much easier to manage and train along our fence or a trellis.  Just wanted to share.

Compliments to you, really great.🤗👍

 

[jwf1983]

17 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

  That's pretty impressive,  Though i do wonder if maybe you might be a smidge warmer than the currently suggested 8A.  🤔

Regardless,  enjoy the fruit and be glad it stays a little more behaved there.. Grew it myself / Grandparents and other relatives grew these for year growing up and ..un-checked by any winter cold,  they could get pretty massive in a year, let alone after 3 years of growth ...producing so much fruit we never knew what to do w/ it all ( Since everyone who might want fruit already had vines ) .. 
 

You may be right about being slightly warmer than 8a.  The DC Metro area is a strange, vast area (some consider Frederick, MD south to just outside Richmond, VA, and west out to parts of West VA).  Even within the city itself.  I keep fairly detailed records of  daily conditions and temps.  We likely live in the warmest neighborhood in the region, and at an elevation of 29ft above sea level, while other areas outside the dense city core are anywhere from 150ft to 1,500+.  We are also right between the confluence of two tidewater rivers—for whatever it’s worth. We are one of 2 or 3 neighborhoods that have invasive colonies of Asian Tiger and Yellow Fever Mosquitoes, that have been studied by the government since 2011.  The city averages roughly 46 or so days over 90 degrees (at DCA), while we record somewhere between 60-70 annually.  While it certainly gets cold here during winter, I’ve yet to have a temp fall below 19.7 degrees, and in the 5 years at this location, we’ve had 1 day that failed to rise over freezing during a 24 hour time period.  While, this has always been a wild weather, transitional area as it pertains to climate, and id still err on the side of caution saying we live in zone 8a, most winters, even bad ones, would fall in the 8b to 9a range, with our average last freeze occurring between mid feb and the first day or two of March, reliably.  This isn’t the case everywhere in the area.  We’ve managed to have planted Lady Palm, Butia O., Cycas Rev., Spanish moss, Trachy F. Feijoa, Southern Live Oak make it through winter in ground with minimal to no damage.  Even a potted Phoenix R. Managed to make it (with significant damage) unprotected through winter.  
 

The proof is in the plants.  The subtleties fascinate me.

[jwf1983]

 

[Silas_Sancona]

On 9/9/2025 at 6:52 AM, jwf1983 said:

You may be right about being slightly warmer than 8a.  The DC Metro area is a strange, vast area (some consider Frederick, MD south to just outside Richmond, VA, and west out to parts of West VA).  Even within the city itself.  I keep fairly detailed records of  daily conditions and temps.  We likely live in the warmest neighborhood in the region, and at an elevation of 29ft above sea level, while other areas outside the dense city core are anywhere from 150ft to 1,500+.  We are also right between the confluence of two tidewater rivers—for whatever it’s worth. We are one of 2 or 3 neighborhoods that have invasive colonies of Asian Tiger and Yellow Fever Mosquitoes, that have been studied by the government since 2011.  The city averages roughly 46 or so days over 90 degrees (at DCA), while we record somewhere between 60-70 annually.  While it certainly gets cold here during winter, I’ve yet to have a temp fall below 19.7 degrees, and in the 5 years at this location, we’ve had 1 day that failed to rise over freezing during a 24 hour time period.  While, this has always been a wild weather, transitional area as it pertains to climate, and id still err on the side of caution saying we live in zone 8a, most winters, even bad ones, would fall in the 8b to 9a range, with our average last freeze occurring between mid feb and the first day or two of March, reliably.  This isn’t the case everywhere in the area.  We’ve managed to have planted Lady Palm, Butia O., Cycas Rev., Spanish moss, Trachy F. Feijoa, Southern Live Oak make it through winter in ground with minimal to no damage.  Even a potted Phoenix R. Managed to make it (with significant damage) unprotected through winter.  
 

The proof is in the plants.  The subtleties fascinate me.

  Interesting.. Have an aunt / distant cousins that live ( Unless they moved  out of the area recently ) in Newport News.  She had been growing Plumeria ( in pots obviously ) there for a few years, being able to keep them outside until sometime in November,  if i remember right..

  One would think the lower areas, say where you're at, would be colder sinks while more elevated neighborhoods around the city would behave somewhat thermal belt- ish- ly.. ..staying slightly warmer.   Influence from the rivers might have some positive, localized effect on winter lows on colder nights, Depending on wind direction on those kinds of nights of course.. 

Obvious regional differences aside, funny how you've rarely seen a low below the 19.7F you mentioned, yet Tucson, ..sitting just above 2K ft in elevation,  occasionally experiences slightly lower lows, yet ..that area is 9A ( ..and b in the warmer spots )

Your soil ever freeze much? / to any depth beyond  just a few inches?

Regardless, some pretty neat stuff you've been able to grow there.. Have heard there are a few large Redwood / Sequoia specimens around that area of VA / MD. As well as folks growing some of the rarer, Big leaved Oaks from Mexico as well. 

Top would probably be cut to the ground each winter but i wonder if the roots of one of the more " tropical looking " Passiflora, like X " Purple Tiger " might be able to survive if protected well where you're located. 

 ...Really exotic looking vine  -if it could survive there..  Leaves and Fruit are huge ( Fruit is edible as well ) Flowers are also big, and extremely fragrant ..and really wild looking.  Grows FAST though.