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My passionfruit that I purchased from Bunnings has grown like mad and flowers profusely, however the flowers just fall to the ground and it doesn't produce any fruit, does anyone know why this would occur?
Hi @AndyH63,
Could you share more details about the passionfruit vine you’ve purchased—such as the variety and when and where you planted it? We’ve seen some feedback regarding the Sunshine Special, though the supplier hasn’t reported any issues suggesting it’s sterile.
It’s worth noting that a lack of fruit isn’t specific to the varieties we sell but is a common issue with passionfruit vines in general. There are several reasons a vine might not produce fruit, including climate conditions, the rootstock taking over (which can result in a lot of vigorous growth but no fruit), a lack of pollinators in the area, or even incorrect fertilisation. Excess nitrogen, for example, can lead to lush foliage at the expense of flowers and fruit.
A few reasons why flowers might not set fruit include a lack of pollinators—passionfruit relies on bees and other insects to transfer pollen, and if there aren’t enough around, hand-pollination may be needed. High humidity or excessive rain can also affect pollination by making pollen less viable or washing it away before it can do its job. Additionally, some varieties have lower natural fruit set and may need a compatible cross-pollinator to improve yield. Let us know more details about your vine, and we’d be happy to help troubleshoot.
Mitchell
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Hijam. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about growing passionfruit.
It’s great to hear your passionfruit vines are growing well and flowering — that’s a good sign they’re healthy. If the flowers aren't setting fruit, though, there could be a few common reasons. Sometimes, even with bees present, pollination may not be effective — especially if it’s a hybrid variety that requires cross-pollination or if the weather has been too cold or wet during flowering. Other causes could include a lack of nutrients (particularly potassium), excessive nitrogen promoting leaf growth over fruit, poor drainage, insufficient sunlight, or irregular watering during flowering and fruit set.
To help narrow it down, could you share a bit more about how you're caring for the vines? For example, what type of soil are they growing in and what’s the drainage like in that spot? How often are they being watered, and how much direct sun do they get each day? Any details on fertilisers used would also be helpful.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi Eric, we live directly next to a national park. so there is no shortage of pollinators in our yard. It is planted in purchased garden mix near our pool area where we re-landscaped, and it has only had worm wee and Rooster Booster pellets two or three times since planted. The funny thing is, mine didn’t flower
all summer when a nearby friends was fruiting prolifically, but has gone mad with flowers since February when hers finished up. Like it’s out of season with one that actually fruits. Is this normal? It’s still covered in flowers today, but not a single fruit ever!
Have a healthy Ned Kelly passion fruit vine that I purchased about 18 months ago from Bunnings. It has grown extremely large and has had hundreds of flowers but no fruit. Many flowers have dropped off but there are still many waiting for nature to take its course
I have tried hand pollinating but nothing. Plenty of bees (see photo ) and no ants.
Appreciate any
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Bigbazz. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about passion fruit care.
It looks like your passionfruit vine is thriving in terms of growth and flowering, but I understand how frustrating it can be when there’s still no fruit. Even with bee activity, pollination may be incomplete. Hand-pollinating in the morning with a small brush, transferring pollen from the anthers to the stigma, can help. Cross-pollination with another vine—if available—might also improve your chances.
Weather can also play a part, as extreme heat or cold nights can affect fruit set. Some vines take a year or two to mature before fruiting, so time may still be a factor. If your plant is very leafy, it may be getting too much nitrogen. Try switching to a fertiliser that’s lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium to encourage fruiting. You can try some Richgro 2.5kg Potash Fruit And Flower Booster. Lastly, make sure the vine is getting at least six hours of sun a day and consistent watering, without waterlogging the roots.
Looking closely at the flowers, they don’t seem to have any visible pollen, which might explain why fruit isn’t forming even with bees. Environmental stress or nutrient imbalance can sometimes cause flowers to develop without viable pollen. The plant looks healthy overall, but I’m wondering if this could be affecting flower development and fruit set.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
2yrs lush growth hundreds of flowers lots of ants now lots of bees but NO fruit. Non grafted black Nellie Kelly facing north.
Prior vine was a grafted Nellie Kelly which gave hundred of fruit annually for several years.
Is this vine sterile?
Should I
take it out and replace it
cut back at one end and plant a grafted Nellie Kelly, mulch & fertilise?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @PassionK. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about passion fruit.
You'll find plenty of information in this discussion on the topic. Could you take some close-up pictures of your flowers for me? We're looking for orange pollen within them. I suspect, given the abundance of flowers, that they might not be producing pollen, or if they are, winds or rain are removing it before pollinators get the chance to move it to a different flower. If you can check early in the morning when new flowers open, if you can find one with pollen, you can use it to pollinate the other flowers on the vine. Use a cotton bud to collect the pollen and distribute it to the other flowers.
Your vine is looking very healthy and quite large. You want to ensure it is pruned, as an overabundance of green growth is not great for flowering. Also, remember to use a low-nitrogen fertiliser.
On a side note, and I realise it's only because pollination hasn't occurred, but it's not the best time of year for flowering of a passionfruit. Even if the fruit were to set now, they'll be trying to ripen over winter, which will likely cause them to fail.
In regard to your question, no, your vine is not sterile. The grafted variety is the same that has been used and distributed for the past 20 years. However, if you continue not to have any luck with it, you might wish to switch back to the grafted variety.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
