A Passion for Passion Flower
Since they can't generally survive temperatures below 15 degrees, passifloras must be taken indoors for the winter in the north. In The Fragrant Path, Louise Beebe Wilder comments that passiflora caerulea ("blue passionflower") "is usually a greenhouse subject but I remember that it was hardy in our Maryland garden though it was killed back to the crown every winter. It was an object of great awe amongst the children because of the dramatically revealed significance of its parts by our Irish Catholic nursemaids. . .In an old Spanish tradition it was the Passion Flower that climbed the Cross and fastened upon the scars in the wood where the nails had been driven through the hands and feet of the Sufferer."
Although the photo on the left below was labelled passiflora incarnata, I suspect--from its color--that it is actually another type. I hesitate to identify it as caerulea, however, since that variety is generally blue and white.
How many passionflower types there are seems to be anybody's guess. Those estimates generally range between 300 and 600! Some of the better known are passiflora quadrangularis (AKA granadilla), maliformis (AKA sweet calabash), and laurifolia (AKA water lemon).
Those three, like incarnata, produce edible fruits. But the passiflora caerulea mentioned by Wilder is supposed to contain some form of cyanide. And many other types have toxic parts. So it's always a good idea to check up on the edibility of any variety you wish to consume!
Although passiflora is not physically addictive, many plant collectors do develop a "passion" for this fascinating vine. But we gardeners don't really require the symbolism associated with it to remind us of God's love. We can see that in every flower we grow!
Note: Passiflora incarnata photo is by Mimi Kamp and photo of blue passionflower is by Michael Moore. They and the image are coutesy of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine at http://www.swsbm.com/homepage/ .
Go To Page: 1 2
Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic
Latest Articles