Passion Flower Climber

Question

I planted my climber last year when I bought it, and it had flowers on it. I noted that they lose some of their leaves in winter. Mine has a few flowers on it now but the plant overall looks spindly, has a few dead leaves but doesn’t have many leaves overall. Do I leave it or cut it down, if I cut it where do I cut it? Please help

Answer 1

Is it spring where you are? Did you passion flower winter outside? Most passion flower plants aren't very cold tolerant, and there's a chance it got some frost damage. Whatever the cause, it's a good idea to prune it.

Passion flowers can take some heavy pruning, and it's actually recommended for encouraging healthy new growth. As a rule, you want to remove no more than 1/3 of the plant's material. If the plant really looks sad, though, cut it back to just two or three of the strongest looking branches.

You can read more about passion flower pruning here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/passion-flower/cutting-back-passion-vines.htm