How to Easily Grow Your Own Passion Fruit

I’m not going to say it’s the only reason we fell in love with our ohana in Holualoa, but the lilikoi vines dangling daintily from the trees lining our yard were definitely a deciding factor in moving here.

Before we’d even signed the lease, my husband disappeared into the grove of swaying bamboo, emerging about 10 minutes later with a handful of golden lilikoi he found in the river bed. Growing in Hawai’i, lilikoi are a slightly larger, yellow version of the classic, purple passion fruit.

Since moving here, I’ve uncovered a few new uses for these balls of sweetness. At the top of my list are “make lilikoi vinaigrette” and “grow more!” Keep reading for my tips on doing both.

Lilikoi Vinaigrette Recipe

Instead of pouring store-bought dressing on your salads, whip up this bright, tropical vinaigrette!

Ingredients

• 3 ripe lilikoi

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• Hawaiian sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions

• With a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds from the lilikoi.

• Combine all ingredients above in a blender, Vitamin, or food processor.

• Blend until emulsified.

• Add salt and pepper to taste.

• This vinaigrette tastes best if you chill it and use it that day, but the dressing will keep for up to one week in the fridge if it’s in a mason jar or lidded glass container. If frozen, this vinaigrette can keep for up to six months. Once it thaws out, you will likely need to blend it to restore that original “dressing” consistency.

Grow Your Own Passion (Fruit)!

I have a hard time throwing out “mushy” produce, so recently, I stuck some seeds from a very wrinkly (overripe) lilikoi in a few containers on my lanai over the weekend. When nothing happened, I used those containers for repotting a pineapple and an anthurium. To my surprise, a few adorable green leaves began popping up around the pineapple AND the anthurium - The lilikoi took after all!

Want to grow your own lilikoi in a container? Technically, you should plant the seeds in a starter tray, but I started with two breathable pots that are around 12 x 12 inches each and filled them with high-quality potting soil.

I scooped the seeds from a lilikoi, rinsed the flesh off, and dried them. Then I planted a few seeds about 1/8 inch deep into the soil of each container.

The plants got placed in a spot on my lanai that gets a minimum of four hours of indirect sunlight every day. To keep the soil moist, I water the lilikoi every other day.

The lilikoi are starting to develop their second set of plant leaves, so I’ll have to repot the pineapple and anthurium that I stuck in the planters, so the lilikoi have sufficient room to grow - One lilikoi plant per pot is optimal.

Eventually, I’ll need a trellis for each plant to ensure that my lilikoi vine has something to grow up and around … and keep it healthy and thriving! Have you tried to grow your own passion fruit? I’d love to hear about what you’re making with your harvest, so feel free to comment below.