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Passiflora phoenicea 'Ruby Glow' (Ruby Glow Passion Vine) - This vigorous large leafy vine can grow to 20 tall with support and has square stems holding leathery ovate rich green leaves that have two yellow petiole glands at leaf bases most evident when leaves first emerge. In late summer and fall appear sporadically the huge 5" across flowers that have shorter sepals than petals that are both an intense dark maroon color on the inside and purple on the backside with showy corona filaments in the flower center that are purple with white bands – very showy flowers! It can produce an edible fruit if cross-pollinated.
Plant in full sun for best results but can take some shade and flourishes with regular watering. It is pretty tender so best for mild climates but if a frost takes it down, it resprouts quickly.
Passiflora phoenicea is native to eastern and central Peru and is closely related the Winged-Stem Passion Flower, Passiflora alata, and to the Giant Granadilla, Passiflora quadrangularis, which as the specific epithet implies also has square stems.
The name Passiflora comes from the Latin words 'passus' meaning "suffering and 'flos' meaning "a flower" from the Flower of the Passion after Spanish priests in Mexico found that features in the flowers seemed to represent events of the crucifixion of Christ. The three stigmas representing the three nails in Jesus's hands and feet, the many radial filaments represented the Crown of Thorns upon his head, the tendrils represented the whips used to flagellate him, the five anthers represented his five wounds, the ten petals and sepals representing the Apostles (excluding Judas and Peter) and the blue and white color representing Heaven and Purity. The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'phoeniceus' meaning "purple" or "scarlet red".
This cultivar was selected by Patrick Worley when he was at Kartuz Nursery where it was first offered as Passiflora alata but later given the cultivar name 'Ruby Glow' in 1984. We began offering this plant as Passiflora alata 'Ruby Glow' in 1988 and this was the name the plant was listed as in John Vanderplank's book Passion Flowers published in 1991. We added the synonym Passiflora phoenicea to our listing in 2001 but in 2004 Passionflowers of the World by Torsten Ulmer and John M. MacDougal was published and it stated that 'Ruby Glow' was a selection of Passiflora phoenicea and that both it and Passiflora were valid taxa. Since then we have listed this plant as a cultivar of Passiflora phoenicea. 'Ruby Glow' is also one parent, with Passiflora quadrangularis the other, of the more floriferous Patrick Worley and Richard McCain hybrid cultivar 'Purple Tiger', that has even larger flowers that are just as fragrant as those of 'Ruby Glow' but with paler colored foliage. In 2009 we began growing 'Purple Tiger' and for several years grew both but in 2013 we switched over to exclusively offering 'Purple Tiger'.
This information about Passiflora phoenicea 'Ruby Glow' displayed on this web page is based on research we have conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations we have made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how our crops have performed in containers in the nursery field. Where appropriate, we will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.
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