How to Grow Bumblebee Delight

Wikimedia Commons

Bumblebee Delight

Passiflora edulis × Passiflora alata (hybrid)

vine

Bumblebee Delight is a hybrid passionflower vine known for its striking bi-colored flowers featuring deep purple outer petals with bright yellow-orange inner coronas that attract bumblebees and other pollinators. This vigorous, semi-evergreen vine produces fragrant, showy blooms and edible passion fruits. It combines the hardiness and fruiting ability of its parent species to create an ornamental and productive garden specimen.

When should you plant Bumblebee Delight in your zone?

Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.

Get my Bumblebee Delight timeline →

Example Bumblebee Delight timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

Plant Bumblebee Delight
Around Apr 17

Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
Tend & protect
Late spring–summer

Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
Harvest Bumblebee Delight
Around Oct 14

≈ 180 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Bumblebee Delight dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

☀️

Sun: Full sun, 6-8 hours daily (tolerates partial shade but flowers and fruit production best in full sun)

💧

Water: Moderate; keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply 2-3 times weekly during growing season. Reduce watering in winter. Drought-tolerant once established but produces better with regular moisture.

📏

Spacing: 48 inches

📅

Days to maturity: 180-240 days from planting to first fruit

🌱

Planting depth: 1/4 inch for seeds; transplants at same depth as pot

Soil

Type: Well-draining, fertile loamy soil

pH: 6.0-7.0

Amendments:

compost organic matter perlite for drainage aged bark mulch

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

Thrives in zones 8b-11; protect in zone 8b with mulch or grow in containers for winter protection

8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b

Get my Bumblebee Delight timeline →

Growth Stages

Seedling

3-4 weeks

Tender young shoots with small oval leaves emerging. Plant is delicate and requires protection.

Keep soil warm (70-75°F) and consistently moist. Provide bright, indirect light. Use grow lights if indoors. Thin seedlings to strongest specimens.

Vegetative Growth

8-12 weeks

Rapid vine extension with increasingly larger, deeply lobed leaves. Tendrils develop for climbing and attachment.

Install sturdy trellis or support structure. Feed with balanced fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. Pinch growing tips to encourage branching. Water regularly.

Flowering

4-8 weeks (blooms may repeat)

Large, intricate 3-4 inch bi-colored flowers appear at leaf axils with distinctive corona filaments. Flowers are fragrant and attract pollinators.

Maintain consistent moisture and full sun exposure. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer (use phosphorus-rich formula) to avoid excessive leaf growth. Ensure good air circulation.

Fruiting

8-12 weeks from flower to ripeness

Small, round green fruits develop from pollinated flowers, gradually enlarging to plum-sized (2-3 inches diameter) and turning deep purple when ripe.

Continue regular watering and feeding with balanced fertilizer. Support heavy fruit with netting or ties. Protect from excessive heat stress.

Dormancy/Maturity

3-4 months (varies by zone)

In cooler zones, vine slows growth in winter; may lose some or all leaves. Hardier than pure passion fruit but still benefits from protection.

Reduce watering significantly. Do not fertilize. Mulch heavily at base in zone 8b. Prune dead or damaged canes. Resume care in spring.

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

bee balm borage sunflowers marigolds comfrey nasturtiums basil

Avoid planting near:

fennel dill walnut trees

Common Pests

Accept as beneficial—these caterpillars are food for butterflies. Plant extra vines or use netting to protect fruit. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides.
Spray foliage with water to dislodge. Use neem oil or insecticidal soap weekly if severe. Improve humidity and air circulation.
Remove with rubbing alcohol on cotton swab. Spray neem oil or insecticidal soap. Check regularly on new growth.
Prune heavily infested stems. Apply horticultural oil spray in early spring before leaves fully emerge.
Use yellow sticky traps. Spray neem oil or insecticidal soap weekly. Increase air circulation.

Uses

🍳

Fresh Fruit & Juice

Culinary

The tart, aromatic pulp inside the fruit is used fresh, in drinks, desserts, and as a garnish for cocktails and plates. Passion fruit adds tropical flavor and visual appeal to smoothies, jams, and ice cream. [source]

🍳

Edible Flowers

Culinary

The striking bi-colored flowers are edible and add dramatic visual impact to salads, desserts, and garnishes. They have a subtle floral flavor. [source]

💊

Herbal Tea & Relaxation

Medicinal

Passionflower has been traditionally used in herbal medicine to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety. Leaves can be dried and brewed as a calming tea. [source]

🦋

Pollinator & Butterfly Support

Wildlife

The showy, fragrant flowers attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Passionflower vines are host plants for several butterfly species, providing essential caterpillar food. [source]

🏠

Ornamental Garden Feature

Household

With dramatic purple and yellow flowers and vigorous growth habit, Bumblebee Delight is an exceptional living trellis specimen that adds tropical beauty to gardens, pergolas, and container displays. [source]

This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.

Harvest Tips

Fruits ripen 8-12 weeks after flowering when they turn deep purple and feel slightly soft. Harvest by gently twisting and pulling, or wait for them to drop naturally. Ripe fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Cut passion fruits in half and scoop out the fragrant pulp and seeds with a spoon. Flowers are edible and can be harvested as they bloom.

Fun Facts

🌱 Passionflower's intricate corona filaments were named by Spanish missionaries in the 1600s, who saw symbolic religious significance in the flower's structure—the corona representing the crown of thorns, the stamens the nails, and the styles the cross.
🌱 Bumblebee Delight's hybrid vigor makes it more cold-hardy and disease-resistant than pure passion fruit (P. edulis), allowing it to grow in temperate zones that would otherwise be too cool.
🌱 The genus Passiflora contains over 500 species found worldwide, but only a few produce edible fruit; this hybrid combines ornamental beauty with cold tolerance and fruit production in one vine.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Full Sun Hybrid Mulch Partial Shade pH Trellis

Shop Bumblebee Delight plants and related plants at Plant Addicts →

Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.

Get your personalized Bumblebee Delight planting timeline

Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Bumblebee Delight seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.

Get my Bumblebee Delight timeline →