The Passion Flower (Passiflora) is a perennial vine with beautiful flowers. This plant will freeze back to the ground in winter but grows back from the ground annually.
All parts of the plant are edible. The flowers make great additions to a salad. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked (also a great addition to a salad). The fruits range in color from yellow to purple depending on the species of passion flower but can be eaten raw, juiced, or just about anyway you can come up with. All parts of the fruit are edible so you can eat the peel all the way through the seed packed inner core.
The plants require large bees to pollinate. Wooden beams staked up near the plants are great way to attract native carpenter bees to pollinate the plant.
You can make a tea (hot tea or iced tea) from the leaves which is supposed to be good for epilepsy, hysteria, insomnia, and even pain relief. You can also dry the leaves and smoke them (but tea or salad is probably a healthier way to ingest them). The plant has been shown to have beneficial effects for treating anxiety disorder. It also has sedative effects.
As with any plant, only consume in moderation (the plant has been shown to cause hallucinogenic effects if taken in large quantities) and contains a form of cyanide if taken in large enough quantities.
Below are some pictures of a Passiflora Incarnata commonly referred to as a Maypop or Purple Passionflower. And yes, the fruits are quite tasty.
Showing posts with label passion vine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passion vine. Show all posts
Friday, August 21, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Passion Flower (Passiflora)
Passion Flower or passion vine is an edible vine that can grow up to 20 feet high. The leaves and stems can be dried (or used fresh) and used to make herbal teas, the flowers can be eaten in salads, and the fruit is tasty all by itself and makes wonderful jams and jellies.
The plant is said to be an herbal remedy for anxiety and insomnia. It's also really pretty compared to many other herbs.
The Passion Flower pictures below are from our yard and are a Passiflora Incarnata commonly referred to as a Maypop or Purple Passionflower. We have two plants that sprang up in our yard this summer.
The plant is said to be an herbal remedy for anxiety and insomnia. It's also really pretty compared to many other herbs.
The Passion Flower pictures below are from our yard and are a Passiflora Incarnata commonly referred to as a Maypop or Purple Passionflower. We have two plants that sprang up in our yard this summer.
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