Passiflora condorita J
Passiflora condorita B
Passiflora condorita A
Passiflora condorita D
Passiflora condorita E
Passiflora condorita F
Passiflora condorita C
Passiflora condorita G
Passiflora condorita H
Passiflora condorita I
Images © 2025 Tim Stapleton & Myles Irvine

Passiflora condorita P.Jørg.

Decaloba
Ecuador 2004
Min 2°C 37°F
Sept-Oct

Note: It is quite possible that this is in fact Passiflora hirtiflora. This page will be updated once the position is clear.  Passiflora condorita is an understory plant from the wet tropical biome and as such grows well under cultivation in full or partial shade but does not like full sun. While it is easy to care for and propagate by cuttings, it has proven difficult to initiate flowering and so far has only flowered for Tim Stapleton in Northern Ireland, who is growing it indoors. Flowers are produced both singly and in pairs. He describes the flowers as having an intense sherbet lemon smell. It is a beautiful plant with extensive butterfly egg mimicry on the leaves, and deep crimson/purple leaf undersides. It has the curious habit that the leaves seen under cultivation are much larger than those found when the plant grows in habitat. The delicate flowers are typical of bee-pollinated Decaloba, and the petals and sepals are almost transparent.

Passsiflora condorita field photo 1Image © 2022 Yero Kuethe

Passiflora condorita was discovered by Coascota & Cave on December 16th 1999, though not introduced into cultivation. It was an unknown species until Peter Jørgensen examined a herbarium specimen, named it and published it in Nordic J. Bot. 23: 18 (2004)

Coincidentally again on 16th December, 2022, Yero Kuethe, as part of his work in producing a new Passiflora Monograph, together with Henry Garzon, Hernal Bernal and Miguel Molinari found three plants in the same location. As a result of which it is now under cultivation with limited distribution both within Europe and UK. A further recent expedition in 2025 failed to find any plants and it is suspected that it is now extinct in the wild.

Passiflora condorita map

Passiflora condoritais is from the Sierra del Cóndor mountain range on the border of Ecuador and Peru, known for its rich biodiversity and cultural significance to indigenous groups like the Shuar. It contains the Podocarpus-El Cóndor Biosphere Reserve, which has a unique combination of Amazonian, Andean, and páramo ecosystems and is a crucial area for conservation efforts. The high levels of biodiversity are due to its location at the confluence of the Amazon River basin and the high Andes.

 The video above shows the stunning beauty of Passiflora condorita.