How to Plant Shrubs & Purple Passion Together

Select shrubs that grow well in a brightly lit spot out of full sun. This is the light requirement of the purple passion plant, so any shrubs planted as companions must be able to thrive in that condition. Choose shrubs that can also tolerate moist soil and weekly fertilization, which are the requirements of the purple passion.

Place the shrubs and purple passion plants in the planting site while they are still in their containers so you can adjust the spacing. Purple passion plants can reach up to 9 feet in spread, and the size of the mature size of the shrub depends on the species. Give the plants enough space so that they will not compete with each other when they reach maturity.

Dig a hole for the purple passion and a hole for the shrubs. The holes should be twice as wide as the plants' containers and just as deep. Remove the plants from their containers and lower them into the holes. Do this in spring, after last frost.

Fill the holes in with soil and firm the soil with your hand. Water until the soil settles.

Maintain a watering schedule that will keep the soil in the root zone moist. The surface of the soil can dry out between waterings.

Apply a general purpose fertilizer to the soil around the plants once a week during growing season. Follow the directions on the package for application.

Cut back the orange flowers on the purple passion before they open, as they have a foul odor. Prune the shrubs according to the species requirements to prevent them from growing too large and interfering with the purple passion. When the purple passion begins to lose its color, remove it and plant a younger specimen in its place.