PLANT

The GIANT GRANADILLA, also known as Barbadina (Trinidad), Granatina (Haiti), Badea (Spain), Passiflora quadrangularis, produces the largest fruit of all the species of the genus Passiflora. It is a perennial plant native to the Neotropics, with smooth, cordate, ovate or acuminate leaves.

FRUIT

The fruit of the GRANADILLA GIANTE is the largest of all in the genus Passiflora, 10 to 30 cm long and 8 to 16 cm in diameter, a thin yellow-green skin, thick, fluffy, juicy, sweet, white flesh about 2.5 cm thick. The seeds are hard, flattened, obovate, with a salmon-coloured to translucent yellow aril, juicy and subacid.

PROPERTIES

Passion fruit is predominantly composed of water (73%) along with protein, fat, ash, dietary fibre, carbohydrates and sugars; there are also fair amounts of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc and selenium. There are also good proportions of vitamins in this fruit, especially those of the C, A, B2 and B3 groups, K, J together with beta-carotene.

POSITION

It prefers sunny or half-shaded areas, and resists drought well. As a sub-tropical plant, it does not tolerate winter frosts.