Passion flowers are so named because they once reminded catholic priests of the passion of Christ. The petals and sepals of the flower resemble the ten good apostles and the circle of small hair like filaments evokes memories of Christ’s crown of thorns when he was crucified. There are five stamens with anthers that are believed to have resembled Christ’s five sacred wounds and three stigmata nail wounds. Passion flowers were natives of South America and were brought to Europe from there.
Growing Passion Flowers is no trouble at all. Despite their delicate appearance passion flowers are tough and hard and are easy to grow. They freeze in the winter but almost always grow back again the summer. They are to be watered aplenty and should be kept in shade. A well cared for Passion Flower plant can easily live up to 3 years and more. The Blue Passion flower is one of the most exquisite flowers in the world. It is highly suitable for a tropical garden and grows best at the base of a sheltered spot in full sun. The fruit is eaten fresh or concocted into a drink. The Passion flower tea which is said to relieve stress and anxiety is also made from the
Blue passion flower.
Certain butterflies lay its eggs on Passion flower vines. When the caterpillars hatch, they are usually ravenously hungry and due to this the entire vine can be stripped bare in a matter of days. If the vine already has a batch of eggs, a female butterfly will not lay any more eggs there as she is aware that the vine will be unable to feed beyond the existing batch of eggs. To protect itself from butterflies, the passion flower plant develops tiny filaments either at the base of the leaves or under the flower, so that it looks like butterfly eggs. A female butterfly mistakes these false eggs as real ones and moves on to a different flower.
The passion flower is considered a powerful and psychedelic herb. It is used to treat sleeplessness, insomnia, anxiety and nervousness. The sleep inducing , analgesic and sedative effects of a passion flower are closely related. The passion flower herb also has a calming affect and encourages regular sleeping patterns. Its many medical properties remain unparalleled despite the fact that it is a comparatively small species. So the next time you see a Passion flower, don’t be fooled by its alluring beauty, a hardy heart lies beneath, and also a quick cure for that headache!
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