Types of Passion Fruit

eHow
May 31, 2011

The common purple passion fruit, native from Brazil and surrounding South American countries, is a subtropical, distinctive-looking fruit: fuchsia with faint white speckles on the outside with vibrant golden pulp and green or black seeds. Both traditional purple passion fruit and the larger, more tart yellow form have been cultivated over time into numerous varieties, all having various appearances, flavors and growing patterns.

Purple Forms
Purple passion fruit has a sweet-tart flavor evocative of guava. The purple variety is less acidic than the yellow forms, with richer aroma and flavor and more juice. Traditional passion fruit is grown is tropical and subtropical climates, particularly in Hawaii and California. Many cultivars--selectively bred variations--have arisen and are bred to withstand non-native environmental conditions. The availability of each of the varieties is dependent on the fruit's viability in different regions of the country.

Purple Cultivars
The Black Knight, developed in Massachusetts, is a small, dark purple variety. It has a robust flavor and is well-suited for small growing spaces. The Edgehill, similar to the Black Knight, produces a larger fruit and vine, and is best suited for outdoor cultivation.

The Frederick, Paul Ecke and Red Rover varieties are compact plants developed in California. The fruit can be eaten out of hand and is perfect for juicing. The Frederick is a large fruit with a green-purple skin and tart flavor. The Paul Ecke is medium in size with a vibrant purple skin. The Red Rover, as the name suggests, is a red-skinned, medium to large, round fruit with a sweet-tart flavor.

The Kahuna and Purple Giant varieties are very large passion fruit cultivars. Kahunas have a sweet flavor and are good for juicing. Kahunas have a medium purple skin, while Purple Giants become very dark purple when they mature.

Yellow Forms
Yellow passion fruit grows vigorously and generally produces larger fruit than the purple forms, but the flavor and aroma are less rich and more acidic. The skin ranges from a golden color to pumpkin-hued, and the seeds are brown. Yellow varieties are less tolerant of frost and flourish in warmer climates.

Yellow Cultivars
The Brazilian Golden variety is larger than standard yellow varieties, with golden skin and tart fruit. The plant also produces large, fragrant flowers on its very vigorous vine. Another large yellow variety is the Golden Giant, which originated in Australia.

Several yellow cultivars are very good for juicing. The Noel's Special yields a large quantity of rich juice and originated from Hawaii. The University Round and University No. B-74 produce flavorful juices as well. The Yee are an attractive variety, but their very flavorful juice yield is low.

References
California Rare Fruit Growers: Passion Fruit
Purdue University Horticulture: Passionfruit