Do you need 2 passiuonfruit vines to get passionfruit?
Flowers of both purple & yellow passion fruit are perfect – contain both male & female parts. Pollination is essential for fruit production on passion vines. Flowers of the purple passion vine normally set fruit when self-pollinated (self-fruitful – only need one vine), but many yellow passion vines will not set fruit unless their flowers are dusted with pollen from a different vine that is genetically compatible (self-sterile – need two vines). Thus, 2 plants grown from cuttings taken from the same vine cannot pollinate each other. Moreover, some vines from a group of seedlings can cross-pollinate and others cannot. This must be learned by trial and error as the plants develop. The most effective insect for pollinating passion fruit is the carpenter bee (Apidae, subfamily Anthophoridae), a large, solitary bee similar to the bumble bee in appearance. Elsewhere, other means must be supplied. Carpenter bees can be encouraged by placing hollow logs near the vines. Honeybees are less effec
