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Anticipation and the Ruby Glow
Large vining plants take up a lot of space in a small greenhouse. In my opinion they'd better be worth the trouble or they'll have to find somewhere else to survive. Passiflora alata, Ruby Glow was just such a plant. I'd purchased a cutting over a year ago with the intention of growing it in a hanging basket. I liked the large leaves and thick stems of the plant compared to some of the other Passifloras I'd grown. I also hoped it was more resistant to fritillary larva attacks. The hungry caterpillars can decimate Passiflora foliage.

The cutting was planted in a 12-inch, plastic hanging basket and left in the greenhouse. It was slow to grow, developed a bit of chlorosis on the leaves, and generally looked like a non performer that took up valuable space.

Unfortunately several other of my Passifloras growing in hanging basket on the back porch were moved to the greenhouse by mid summer in an attempt to defend the leaves from the fritillary larva. That meant space was really at a premium with eight fairly large vining plants competing for the real-estate and light. And some of the Passifloras like the Blue Eyed Susan, Incense, Star of Clevedon and Monika Fischer were robust flower producers. They deserved their premium location in the controlled environment.

Passiflora 'Blue Eyed Susan' was a good bloomer in the greenhouse and aromatic as well.

Patience while growing can certainly be rewarded. I continued to water regularly and fertilize and the alata vine began to grow. I tried to train the new growth around the support wires of the basket but the thick stemmed vine resisted manipulation and ended up going where it wanted eventually hanging four feet to the greenhouse floor.

In late September I spotted a single bud near the rim of the hanging basket and from then on I checked it on a daily basis. Wouldn't want to miss the bloom if they only last a day. During the first week of October I noticed the petals starting to open and I'd go check the progress every so often. I was so concerned with what I thought was a single bud on the vine I nearly missed the already opened flower on the end of the vine inches from the greenhouse floor.

First Ruby Glow bloom was truly a bloom of substance.
Passiflora alata, Ruby Glow.
From petal tip to petal tip over a five inch bloom.

Once I did see it I was amazed I missed it. The bloom was over five inches wide and the largest Passiflora flower I'd grown. It was impressive in size and coloration and well worth the wait. The flower had a slight scent that I didn't find all that appealing but then I don't care for the aroma of Passiflora Incense or the Blue Eyed Susan.

Ruby Glow produced as advertised, "A flower of tremendous substance with spectacular 4" blooms." It was well worth the wait for the first and second blooms and on closer examination of the vine I've noticed a third, small bud. There's more to come. (2007)