When to Plant Passionfruit in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide

Plant November to December. Right now in October it is out of season. The next planting month is November.

Also called passion fruit.

Planting window
Plant an ungrafted black passionfruit in late spring on a warm, sheltered north wall. Vines are short-lived here, so replace them every few...
Sunlight
Full sun on foliage. Roots prefer cool, shaded, mulched soil.
Soil pH
5.5-6.5

Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Passionfruit guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Passionfruit

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Vigorous climbing vine that produces abundantly in warm climates. Purple passionfruit (Nellie Kelly, Pandora, Sweetheart) is the standard Australian backyard variety. Yellow (Panama) types are more tropical and disease-resistant but more acidic. Grafted plants on disease-resistant rootstock (usually P. caerulea or Panama Gold) are strongly recommended as ungrafted purple vines are susceptible to Fusarium wilt. Vines are relatively short-lived (5-7 years) but produce within 12-18 months.

See what grows now in your own postcode

Best Planting Window for Cold / Highland

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - - - - - - - P P

P = Planting window

Plant an ungrafted black passionfruit in late spring on a warm, sheltered north wall. Vines are short-lived here, so replace them every few years; avoid banana passionfruit, which is a weed in many areas.

Want a nudge when it is Passionfruit sowing time in Canberra?

One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Passionfruit included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

This month in Cold / Highland

In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.

The full twelve months are on the Cold / Highland zone page.

How to Grow Passionfruit in Cold / Highland Australia

When to Plant

Plant an ungrafted black passionfruit in late spring on a warm, sheltered north wall. Vines are short-lived here, so replace them every few years; avoid banana passionfruit, which is a weed in many areas.

Soil
Well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic. Rich in organic matter. Avoid heavy clay.
pH Range
5.5-6.5
Sunlight
Full sun on foliage. Roots prefer cool, shaded, mulched soil.

Companion plants: Nasturtium (ground cover), Marigold

Avoid planting near: Tree roots (competition), Shady positions

Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Passionfruit

Recommended Varieties

  • Nellie Kelly (in warmest microclimate only)

Key Challenges

  • Frost
  • Short season
  • Vine may not survive winter

Pro Tips

  • Treat as annual or protect heavily over winter. Low chance of success.

Harvesting Passionfruit

When ready: Fruit turns purple (or yellow for Panama types) and drops from vine. Wrinkled skin indicates peak sweetness. Collect fallen fruit daily.

How to harvest: Pick up fallen fruit or twist ripe fruit from vine. Wrinkled fruit is sweeter than smooth.

Where to next

What passionfruit costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the cold and highland zone this October: Sweet Corn, Beetroot, Celeriac and Kohlrabi.

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Common Questions About Passionfruit

When do you plant passionfruit in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

What else is passionfruit called?

Passionfruit is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it passion fruit. Same plant, same growing advice.

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.