Are Passionfruit in Season in December?

Passionfruit is in season in Australia in summer, autumn and winter. The quietest time for passionfruit is in spring as the vines are busy preparing the bumper crop that comes around in summer. Thanks to the tropical climate in north east Australia passion fruit is in season in autumn and winter too but most passion fruit vines won’t produce in spring.

Availability of Passionfruit in Spring

When is Passionfruit Season in Australia?

Passionfruit season in Australia is in summer. The peak supply is usually in December and January after the summer crops are harvested in Queensland and NSW.

Passion fruit is a summer fruit in its natural environment and as a tropical plant it thrives in more humid climates. Some varieties do better in subtropical climates and passion fruit vines can be grafted to suit the growing climate.

Passion fruits are a perennial crop and the vines can take up to 12 months to produce fruit. Commercial vines can be viable for three to four years and most growers have vines on a three year rotation. For garden growers some passion fruit vines can last for six or seven years.

Availability of Passionfruit by Month

Black Passionfruit Season

Most black passionfruit is in season in summer but vines can also produce crops in autumn and winter in more tropical climates. Black passion fruit is marketing terminology for passion fruit varieties with dark purple skins.

Panama Passionfruit Season

Panama passion fruit is in season earlier than black passionfruit so you can often find them in spring. This passion fruit variety is more suited to tropical growing conditions in Queensland. These red and yellow passion fruits are larger and can be up to double the weight of purple passionfruit varieties.

Banana Passionfruit Season

Banana passion fruit are in season in autumn. This variety produces a unique elongated fruit with a lighter skin hence the name banana. They are less popular as an edible variety and are not usually grown at commercial levels in Australia. Banana passion fruit are considered a weed in some states as they are fast growing and can smother native plants.

Where does Passion Fruit Come From in Australia?

Passion fruit is native to South America. Most passionfruit varieties that have been cultivated in Australia are suited to tropical climates in Queensland and northern New South Wales. Up to 95% of Australian passion fruit is grown in north east Australia.

The Nellie Kelly passionfruit can thrive in the cooler climates in southern Australia by grafting popular varieties onto a hardier rootstock called blue passion fruit, but less than 5% of commercial growing happens outside Queensland and NSW.

One of the challenges of growing passion fruit in Australia is managing the supply chain, as most produce needs to travel a long distance to supply major population centres.