Curuba Facts
Curuba Facts
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| Interesting Curuba Facts: |
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| Curuba has cylindrical stem covered with yellow hairs. It grows as vine that can reach 20 to 23 feet in height. |
| Curuba has large, three-lobed leaves with serrated edges. Leaves are green and shiny on the upper surface and yellowish-grey and hairy on the bottom side. |
| Curuba produces red or pink, tubular flowers that are yellow or white-colored in the middle. Flowers develop on top of the long flowering stalks. They contain both types of reproductive organs (perfect flowers). |
| Curuba blooms all year round. Flowers attract hummingbirds which are responsible for the pollination of this plant. |
| Curuba produces oblong fruit with smooth, yellow skin on the surface and orange, soft, jelly-like flesh inside. Numerous black seed are scattered in the pulp. Curuba is also known as "banana passionfruit" because it looks like small, straight banana with roundish (instead narrow) ends. |
| Curuba produces fruit seasonally (outside its native range) or all year round (in the native habitats), depending on the climate. |
| Curuba starts to produce fruit 2 to 6 years after sowing. Each vine can produce 50 to 300 fruits per year. |
| Curuba propagates via seed and cuttings. |
| Curuba (fruit) is rich source of dietary fibers, vitamins C, A and B3 and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium and iron. |
| All parts of the fruit, except yellow skin, are edible. Flesh has sweetly tart flavor and pleasant aroma. Curuba can be consumed fresh or in the form of juices, jellies and jams. It can be also used for the preparation of pies, breads and various other desserts. |
| Curuba is ingredient of cocktails and various beverages in Latin America. |
| Curuba stimulates appetite, facilitates digestion, improves health of skin and activity of the central nervous system. It also aids in synthesis of hemoglobin and regulates impaired blood coagulation. |
| Curuba is used for grafting of commercially popular varieties of passionfruit which cannot grow in the areas with cold climate. |
| Curuba is classified as invasive in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, where birds, pigs and humans unintentionally disperse seed and introduce curuba into the new areas. Curuba forms dense cover in the forest canopy and keeps understory layer and forest floor in darkness (curuba prevents growth of native species of plants). |
| Curuba is perennial plant, which means that it can survive more than 2 years in the wild. |
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