Passionflower
passiflora incarnata

Native to tropical zones
from the southeast United States to South America.

It is a fast-climbing vine
growing up to thirty feet long.

The toothed, lobed leaves
can be eaten raw in salads or cooked.

Solitary white flowers
with a blue or pink calyx sepals
appear from May to July.

The sweet, edible Passion fruit
can be eaten raw or cooked.

The aerial parts of the plant
are gathered during fruiting season and then dried.

Before the Europeans arrived
in the New World, Passiflora was
cultivated for fruit production
by Native Americans in Virginia.
The herb took its genus name
"Flower of Passion" from Spanish missionaries
in the late 1500s who thought the flowers symbolized
Christ's passion or crucifixion.
The five stamens were likened
to Christ's five wounds, and the
flower's corolla represented his crown of thorns.
A Spanish doctor brought the herb
to Europe where it was taken for epilepsy and insomnia.

Early 1900s studies confirmed
its use as an analgesic and a sedative.

Its antispasmodic and anti-anxiety actions
were clinically validated in the 1980s.


DESCRIPTION
HEALING BENEFITS
HOW TO USE PASSIONFLOWER
ANTIOXIDANT
PASSIONFRUIT JAM RECIPE
OTHER SPECIES