Free Printable Passion Fruit Coloring Page with PDF Sheet

Passion: History & Fun Facts

A Vine Fruit Named for a Flower

Passion fruit takes its name not from romance but from the passion flower vine it grows on, which early Spanish missionaries in South America saw as a symbol of the crucifixion story because of the flower's unusual crown-like structure. The vine is native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

A Shell That Wrinkles When Ready

A passion fruit's tough outer shell starts smooth and firm, then wrinkles and dimples as the fruit ripens, which is actually the signal growers and shoppers look for rather than a sign of spoiling. The wrinkled skin means the sweet-tart pulp inside has reached its peak flavor.

Hundreds of Seeds in Every Fruit

Each passion fruit half can contain well over a hundred small black seeds, each wrapped in its own pocket of juicy, aromatic pulp that gives the fruit its distinctive tropical flavor. Both the seeds and the surrounding pulp are edible and are often scooped out and eaten straight from the shell with a spoon.

A Vine That Climbs Fast in Warm Climates

Passion fruit vines can grow twenty feet or more in a single season, climbing fences and trellises with curling tendrils in warm, frost-free regions. Commercial growers in Brazil, Colombia, and parts of Southeast Asia now produce most of the world's passion fruit juice supply.

Two Main Colors, One Family of Fruit

Growers generally split passion fruit into a deep purple type and a larger yellow type, and the yellow variety tends to grow better in hotter tropical lowlands while the purple type prefers slightly cooler highland conditions. Both share the same seed-packed pulp shown on this coloring page, though the yellow fruit often has a stronger, more tart flavor.

In Hawaii the fruit goes by the name lilikoi, a word borrowed from Hawaiian and used so widely that many local recipes list it instead of passion fruit. Hawaiian farmers grow lilikoi on trellised vines across several islands and use the juice in everything from butter to shave ice syrup.

Pollinated by Buzzing Carpenter Bees

Passion flowers rely heavily on large carpenter bees for pollination, since the flower's structure is sized almost perfectly for a bee that size to brush against the pollen while feeding. Farms without enough carpenter bee activity sometimes see poor fruit set and have to pollinate blossoms by hand with a small brush.

Bakers and bartenders use passion fruit pulp in mousses, curds, cocktails, and ice cream because its intense aroma carries through even when mixed with cream or sugar. A little pulp goes a long way, which is part of why the fruit is often sold by the piece rather than by the pound in grocery stores.

Nutrition-wise, passion fruit pulp carries a solid amount of fiber and vitamin C for such a small serving, and the seeds themselves are perfectly safe to swallow along with the pulp. Some cooks strain the seeds out for a smoother texture in drinks, while others leave them in for the light crunch they add to yogurt bowls and fruit salads.