Stinking Passionflower (Passiflora foetida) flower showing its purple and white corona.

Ripe orange Stinking Passionflower (Passiflora foetida) fruit enclosed by glandular bracts.

Developing green Passiflora foetida fruit surrounded by sticky glandular bracts.

Macro view of Passiflora foetida flower showing corona, anthers and stigmas.

Stinking Passionflower (Passiflora foetida) bloom with lace-like glandular bracts.

Cut-open ripe Passiflora foetida fruit showing pulp and seeds.

Stinking Passionflower Seeds Passiflora foetida

Australian Grown • Direct Botanical Provenance • Insect-Trapping Glandular Bracts

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STANDARD 10 × SEEDS $14.95

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Did You Know?

Stinking Passionflower Seeds

Passiflora foetida

Passiflora foetida has been proposed as one of the botanical world’s rare protocarnivorous plants. Around each developing flower and fruit, the vine builds an extraordinary cage of finely divided bracts covered in sticky glands that can trap tiny insects like living flypaper. Researchers found digestive enzymes in these secretions and evidence consistent with the plant breaking down trapped insects and taking up released amino acids. What looks like delicate botanical lace may therefore be both a protective cage and one of the strangest insect-trapping systems found in the passionflower family.

Product Highlights

Pack Size: Standard Pack · 10 Seeds or Best Value Pack · 30 Seeds
Botanical Name: Passiflora foetida
Family: Passifloraceae
Seed Source: Australian grown from established vines in our own botanical collection
Seed Preparation: Mature seed is extracted from fully ripe fruit, cleaned of surrounding pulp and prepared in-house
Growth Habit: Vigorous tendril-climbing vine
Flowers: Delicate white to pale pink or lilac passionflowers encased by intricate glandular bracts
Climate: Thrives in warm subtropical and tropical conditions, with frost protection required in cooler areas

About Stinking Passionflower

Passiflora foetida is a botanical paradox: a vigorous climbing vine that produces exceptionally delicate flowers within an extraordinary cage of finely divided glandular bracts.

Its white to pale pink or lilac blooms display the intricate architecture expected of a passionflower, while the surrounding bracts form an almost lace-like enclosure that remains around the developing fruit. The result is one of the most distinctive structures in the genus.

The contrast continues in its foliage. When bruised or crushed, the leaves release the strong, pungent aroma responsible for the common name Stinking Passionflower.

Our seed has direct provenance back to established vines in our own botanical collection. Fully ripe fruit is harvested from our plants, the mature seed is extracted in-house and the surrounding fruit pulp is carefully removed before packing. We do not rely on anonymous wholesale stock of uncertain age or storage history.

For best results, sow soon after arrival rather than storing the seed unnecessarily.

Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Passiflora foetida occurs across an exceptionally broad natural range. Carl Linnaeus formally published the species in his landmark 1753 work Species Plantarum. In the centuries that followed, its adaptability allowed the vine to establish far beyond its native range, becoming naturalised across tropical and subtropical regions on several continents, including parts of northern Australia.

As it expanded across this enormous range, the species accumulated numerous regional names and became incorporated into diverse traditional plant-use practices. These records form part of its broader ethnobotanical history and are presented here strictly as historical and cultural context. For the botanical grower, its story brings together early taxonomy, global plant movement and one of the most distinctive bract structures in the passionflower family.

How to Grow Stinking Passionflower from Seed in Australia

Best Time to Start

September to February. In tropical and reliably frost-free locations, seed can also be started outside this period where consistently warm propagation conditions can be maintained.

Prepare the Seed & Growing Medium

Fill pots, propagation cells or a seed tray with a fine, free-draining seed-raising mix. Moisten thoroughly and allow excess water to drain.

A 12-hour soak in warm water is an optional simple pretreatment.

Avoid aggressive cutting or deep filing of the seed coat. Unnecessary mechanical damage can injure the seed.

Sow

Place the seeds on the prepared growing medium and cover lightly with approximately 5 mm of seed-raising mix.

Water gently after sowing so the growing medium is evenly moist without becoming saturated.

Maintain Strong Warmth & Moisture

Keep the growing medium consistently warm, ideally around 30 to 35°C where practical.

Maintain even moisture but never allow the growing medium to remain waterlogged. Provide bright conditions with protection from harsh direct sun while seedlings are emerging.

Allow for Uneven Germination

Seed dormancy can vary between individual seeds.

Continue maintaining suitable warmth and moisture for several weeks rather than discarding sound ungerminated seed too early.

Pot On & Provide Support

Once seedlings have developed several true leaves and are sturdy enough to handle, transplant them carefully into individual pots containing a free-draining growing medium.

Provide a trellis, fence or similar structure while plants are young so the developing tendrils have somewhere to climb.

Germination Notice

While we provide detailed growing instructions, successful germination depends on environmental factors such as season, temperature, moisture, growing medium and care. Because these conditions are outside our control, Sacred Plants Australia cannot guarantee germination outcomes. By purchasing our seeds, you acknowledge and accept these variables.

Light

Grow in full sun to bright partial sun in warm conditions. Young plants benefit from some protection while establishing.

Water

Maintain reliable moisture during establishment and active growth while allowing excess water to drain freely. Avoid prolonged waterlogging.

Soil

Grow in fertile, free-draining soil.

Feeding

Where soil fertility is limited, apply a balanced fertiliser during active growth according to the product directions. Avoid excessive feeding.

Cool Conditions

Protect from frost and prolonged cold, particularly while plants are young.

Maintenance

Provide a trellis, fence or similar structure. Under favourable conditions, Passiflora foetida can climb or scramble to approximately 4 metres. Trim vigorous growth where necessary to keep the vine within its intended growing area.

Responsible Cultivation

Passiflora foetida can naturalise readily in warm climates and is recognised as an environmental weed in parts of northern Australia. Wherever it is cultivated, keep vines within managed areas, harvest unwanted ripe fruit before seed can disperse, remove volunteer seedlings and prevent seed from spreading into bushland, conservation areas or other natural vegetation.

ACT

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NSW

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QLD

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TAS

Conditions apply Please verify current Tasmanian small-weight seed import requirements before ordering. View Tasmanian seed import requirements →

VIC

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INTERNATIONAL

Conditions apply Please confirm your destination's import requirements before ordering. International post is available where permitted. Sacred Plants Australia does not provide phytosanitary certificates.

Last Reviewed: 1 October 2026

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Stinking Passionflower Seeds Passiflora foetida