A flower so intricate that 16th-century missionaries saw in it the symbols of the Passion — and one of the gentlest herbs in nature.

What is passionflower?

Passionflower is a genus of climbing plants with around 550 species. Skin care uses two of them: Passiflora incarnata, the “maypop” of the USA, whose leaves and flowers give an extract, and Passiflora edulis, the familiar passion fruit, whose seeds give an oil. The extract is rich in flavonoids such as vitexin, isovitexin and chrysin, while the seed oil is one of the richest plant oils in linoleic acid (omega-6).

What are the benefits of passionflower?

Passionflower is synonymous with calm — in the cup and on the skin. Applied topically it:

• Soothes and gives a feeling of comfort
• Suits sensitive and dehydrated skin
• Offers flavonoids with antioxidant activity
• Its seed oil softens without feeling heavy
• Supports the skin’s protective barrier with linoleic acid

The flower of the Passion

When Spanish missionaries came across the plant in South America, they saw the ten faithful apostles in its ten petals, the crown of thorns in its ring of filaments, and the five wounds in its five stamens — so they named it flos passionis, “flower of the Passion”. The indigenous peoples of the Americas had already used it for centuries as a gentle calming herb, a use that passed into European herbal medicine.

Where does it come from?

Passiflora incarnata is native to the south-eastern United States, while Passiflora edulis comes from Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Today both are grown throughout the tropics and subtropics, and many species adorn fences and pergolas in Greece too.