Description

PASSION FLOWER – PASSIFLORA INCARNATA

Botanical name: Passiflora incarnata

Other names: Passion fruits

Family: Passifloraceae 

Distribution: South America and southern North America

ORIGIN: ITALY

Most passionflowers are tropical plants native to Central and South America. In pre-Columbian times, many Indians used some species as a source of food and as sedatives and medicines. When Spanish missionaries invaded the New World, they took Passiflora as a sign from God, seeing the unusual flowers as a symbol of the mystery and the passionflower their saviour. Among those who played an important role in promoting this view were the cloister student and artist Jacomo Bosio, the Jesuit J.B. Ferrari in Siena, Father Simone Parlasca, and Pope Paul V.

The English herbalist John Gerard may have been the first to report on the mysterious new plant. In the 18th and 19th centuries, botanists helped spread many passionflower species across much of the globe. Most species were described in the 19th century.

Today, passion fruits are regarded as one of the most prized exotic fruits in the world. The genus is still awaiting comprehensive ethnopharmacological research.

OUR PASSION FLOWER

Our Passion Flower is of higher quality because it’s freshly harvested by knowledgeable family farmers, as well as it’s stored in the cold and dark. It contains a high content of essential oils.