Passiflora caerulea ‘Damsel Delight’

Passiflora caerulea ‘Damsel’s Delight’ is a magnificent hybrid, developed by renowned UK breeder Myles Irvine, and we are always delighted by its performance here at Tandee Nursery. This vigorous, semi-evergreen climber truly excels with its impressively large, intricate flowers, measuring up to 12cm across. We’ve observed its robust growth, quickly covering supports with lush, glossy dark green foliage, making it an excellent choice for adding vertical interest and a touch of the exotic to your garden.

For the best display, we recommend planting ‘Damsel’s Delight’ in a warm, sheltered spot that receives full sun to partial shade, ideally against a south or west-facing wall or fence. It thrives in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, accommodating a range of soil types from chalk to sand, provided there’s good drainage. This hardy passion flower can tolerate temperatures down to around -8°C (RHS H4 hardiness), but in colder areas, we suggest burying the stem 4-6 inches deep when planting to enhance its winter resilience, or growing it in a container that can be moved indoors for protection.

Its flowering season is wonderfully long, beginning in late spring and continuing profusely through summer and into autumn. The unique, slightly fragrant blooms are a mesmerising spectacle, featuring white petals tinged with lilac, surrounded by a dramatic corona of deep purple, violet, and bright blue filaments. Pruning is best done annually in early spring, where we remove any old, flowered stems and dead or damaged growth, maintaining a strong framework to encourage abundant new blooms. This versatile climber is perfect for walls, fences, pergolas, arbours, or even large containers, and its vibrant flowers are a magnet for butterflies.