I don't *think* they're toxic... As you can eat the fruit from most of them. But don't quote me.

My ferrets like to go mining in my plants. (DIRT! Lets Dig! C'mon C'mon C'mon!) while all have survived so far... It makes me a little nervous. I get the small hole chicken wire & cover the top of the pot with it- Most plastic pots are weak enough I can use my 'garage' size stapler to attach the chicken wire. Keeps 'em out... Most of the time.

i never thought of plastic pots and staples. thanks! mining is also exactly what she does. great description!

I know there is at least one toxic Passiflora. It's St. Rule. Not sure about the foliage, but the fruits are toxic. I think most of the Passifloras have a small amount of cyanide, not enough to bother but enough to make the caterpillars unpalatable to many predators.

Some Passifloras can conjure up cyanide in their leaves when they are attacked. I'm not sure which species has the most, but I also know that there are other nasty toxins that these things can produce to protect them from the caterpillars of Heliconian (Zebra) Butterflies.

A note should be made that it doesn't work; the butterflies are immune, and carry the toxin themselves.

So be wary of animals eating them. However, most animals are equipped with senses to tell them to stop eating this thing that is beginning to taste bad!

James the Midnight Gardener

For more info on toxicity see link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Passiflora toxicology

good info, thank you so much. i don't think any taste wouold deter my feline forager. i had once sprinkled cayenne on an aloe plant she destroyed. she still played with it with bite marks on the blades (on the floor).