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Passiflora edulis

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
The yellow passion fruit plant, Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa, grows colorful flowers that later develop into fruit.

What Is Passion Fruit?

Passion fruit is a plant that makes a yummy fruit. The plant is a vine, which means it grows along the ground or climbs up other plants. It belongs to the passion flower family.

Where It Comes From

Passion fruit first grew wild in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Today, people grow it in warm places, including subtropical areas. In the United States, it grows in Florida, Hawaii, and California.

The Fruit

The fruit is a kind of botanical berry. It is round or oval. When ripe, it can be yellow or dark purple. Inside, there is a juicy part with many seeds.

Some kinds of passion fruit are yellow. These can grow as big as a grapefruit. The purple kind is smaller and sweeter.

Enjoying Passion Fruit

People like to eat passion fruit or drink its juice. Its juice is often mixed into other fruit juices to make them smell and taste nicer.

In Australia, people use it in a dessert called pavlova. In Brazil, it is used in juice and ice pops. In Sri Lanka, its juice is a favorite drink.

Quiz time!

3 questions about Passiflora edulis

Question 1 of 3

What kind of plant is passion fruit?

Pictures

Maracujá, the yellow passion fruit, which has a name that comes from the Tupi language.
Purple and yellow passion fruits photographed side by side, with a ruler showing how their sizes compare.
A passionfruit, shown whole and cut in half to reveal its juicy seeds and pulp inside.
An unripe passion fruit still growing on its plant. Passion fruits turn from green to purple or yellow as they ripen.
A young passion fruit seedling, just starting to grow.
A jar of homemade passion fruit jam, made from the tangy, seedy fruit of the passion flower vine.
Passion fruit, shown whole and as a glass of fresh juice.
A glass of passionfruit juice, a refreshing fruit drink often enjoyed at cafés in Sintra, Portugal.
A bottle of virgin passionfruit oil, made from the seeds of the passionfruit (maracuja) fruit.
Scooping out a delicious scoop of homemade passionfruit ice cream.

Keep exploring

Plant
Brazil
Paraguay
Argentina
Florida
Hawaii

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Passiflora edulis, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.