Passionflowers – Beautiful and Medicinal

by P. Gough on March 18th, 2010 at 7:00 am

I recently visited a garden that had a large variety of passionflowers.  I was amazed by the flower’s beauty and by its many variations.  Even more surprising than the numerous colorful displays were the many uses of this beautiful flower, which were listed on the garden’s plaques.

The passionflower has been used to make perfumes, to flavor fruit juices, to raise butterflies (the caterpillar eats them), and even to make medicines.

The passionflower is native to the Americas and is commonly found in the Southeastern United States.  It was traditionally used by the indigenous people of South America as a sedative and pain reliever when Spanish explorers were introduced to its medicinal qualities.

The flower quickly spread around Europe and is still commonly used for its anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing qualities.    The passionflower is edible raw, but it is most commonly ingested as a pill or tea.

Passionflower Tea for Anxiety or Insomnia

If you would like to make your own tea from passionflowers, I found this recipe on the University of Maryland website:

For every cup of boiling water steep about 1 teaspoon of dried passionflower for 10 minutes. Strain the herb and sip hot or allow to cool.  For anxiety, drink 3 to 4 cups per day. For insomnia, drink one cup an hour before going to bed.

The passionflower may interact with prescription sedatives, blood thinners or MAO inhibitors, so please consult your doctor before drinking the tea regularly.

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