Passionflower – Passiflora incarnata

Family: Passifloraceae

Botanical description:  A perennial climbing vine – nearly evergreen in Ireland and native to Southern USA, Central and South America. It grows to 9 m.  The leaves have three lobes. The flowers are extremely ornate and it bears egg-shaped fruit.

Parts used: Aerial parts

Harvesting, cultivation and habitat:

History and folklore:  Called passionflower because the flowers are supposed to be symbolic of the Passion of Christ. It is considered to strengthen the yin of the heart. Bitter, cooling but also some sweet (almost chocolaty) note.  Influences the Heart, Lung and Liver meridian

Constituents Flavonoids (apigenin), Maltol, Cyanogenic glycosides (gynocardin), Indole alkaloids (Harman)

Actions Sedative, Antispasmodic, Tranquilising

 Traditional and current uses

• Insomnia, disturbed sleep patterns and short bouts of sleeplessness
• Anxiety, tension, irritability
• Too much nervous activity, panic
• Toothache, period pain and headaches
• Used as an adjunct for asthma, palpitations, muscle cramps and raised blood pressure as it is antispasmodic
• Tachycardia
• Hysteria
• Convulsions

This herbal monograph is used with the permission of The Plant Medicine School.