Where are the latest passion fruit production areas distributed?

Passion fruit is native to the Greater and Lesser Antilles and is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. The fruit can be eaten raw or used as a vegetable or feed. Used as medicine, it has stimulating and tonic effects. The pulp is juicy; when calcium bicarbonate and sugar are added, it can be made into an aromatic and delicious beverage. The seeds are pressed for oil, which can be used for food and for making soap, paint, and so on. The flowers are large and beautiful, without fragrance, and can be used as ornamental garden plants.

Passion fruit mainly has two major categories: purple fruit and yellow fruit. The lifespan of the plant is about 20 years, and the economic lifespan is generally 8 to 10 years. The fruit is mainly used to process juice beverages and has the reputation of “king of juices”; it can also be added to other beverages to improve their quality.

The roots of passion fruit are fleshy roots, and the stems are climbing, mostly green, with a hollow pith, smooth internodes, and tendrils. The leaves are palmately three-lobed, serrated, smooth, dark green, with prominent veins, and evergreen. The flowers are large and beautiful. The fruit is a berry, and the rind is leathery, tough, and smooth. The pulp is filled with yellow juice, resembling raw egg yolk. The juice content is about 40%, and the juice extraction rate during processing is 28% to 33%.

Passion fruit prefers a warm and humid environment. In areas with an annual average temperature above 18°C and annual rainfall of 1000 to 2000 mm, it grows vigorously and readily yields a high crop. In passion fruit cultivation, trellises must be built to achieve high yields. The average yield is about 1 ton per mu, and the fruiting period is from August to December.