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Genus: Passiflora
Common names: Passion Flower, Passion Fruit
Among us who has never noticed the Passiflora climbing on some wall or fence? It’s just impossible not to be enchanted by the particularity and beauty of its flower. As a climbing plant, it lends itself well to ornamental purposes to cover walls, fences and pergolas.
There are more than 500 species in the genus Passiflora among perennials and annuals, climbing, shrubby, herbaceous and looking different, but in this article we will focus on the properties of Passiflora Incarnata and Passiflora Caerula.
PASSIFLORA PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Roots are usually fascicular, while the stems characterize for their numerous ramifications. Stems become woody in plants of a certain age. The climbing species are characterized by tendrils present in the axil of the leaves that serve to anchor. The flowers are very characteristic and certainly don’t go unnoticed. Their colors vary from white, blue and pink depending on the species. The fruits appear as a berries with a shape similar to chicken eggs, the colors also vary according to the species.
Passiflora lends itself to being grown both in the garden and in pots, and is a plant that itself requires little attention to grow. As a rule, passion flower plants prefer sunny locations and don’t tolerate water stagnation. In case you plan to plant it in a pot, make sure you use a sufficiently light and draining soil.
Passiflora Seeds, Blue/White, Flower Seeds [More]
PROPERTIES OF THE MOST COMMON SPECIES
Passiflora Incarnata is considered to be a medicinal plant for its properties, it’s largely used in phytotherapy and widely available in herbal medicine. This species in particular is used to combat sleep disorders, intestinal disorders and anxiety attacks. An infusion of the aerial parts of this plant can help in case of nervousness, anxiety, and difficulty in falling asleep.
Extracts with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic action are obtained from the leaves of both varieties of passion flower, sharing sedative and relaxing properties used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety and stress.
Passiflora Edulis, on the other hand, is known for its tasty fruit called Passion fruit or Maracuja. This fruit has a very soft pulp, is rich in small seedsand its aroma is rather intenseand distinctive. Passion fruit is eaten fresh and lends itself particularly well to enrich smoothies, juices, jams. Maracuja combines great with plain yogurt or milk kefir.
In this regard, if you are keen on growing and making your food, you may want to read the articles: “Easy homemade yogurt recipe” and “How to make traditional milk kefir”