How Can I Tell When Passion Fruit is Ripe?

“I planted a passion fruit last year and have lots of fruits on the vines. When do I harvest the fruit?” Question from Susan of Florida

Answer: The fruits of different types of passion fruit (Passiflora spp.) vines differ in color when they are ripe. Some turn to purple, reddish-brown, or gold on the outside. When ripe, the fruit will color up from green and develop a wrinkled or dimpled exterior. Some will drop from the vine when fully ripe. If yours have changed color, but you are not certain whether they are ripe, smell the outside. It should be fragrant. Then pick one, and cut it open. The pulpy seeds within should be yellowish, fragrant, sweet, and juicy. At this point, it’s time to harvest and enjoy them.

Enjoy your passion fruits!

Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist

About JESSIE KEITH


Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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