Passion Flower, Official
Passiflora incarnata
Family: Passifloraceae
Herbaceous or woody vine. Native to southern and eastern United
States. This is the official species, and there is rising demand
for it. I heartily recommend serious growers to work with this plant.
Creeping vine which in the wild forms a dense shroud at forest margin or
straggles endlessly in open fields and pastures. It grows in the
South and on the coasts, but may require protection in colder areas.
Extraordinary in cultivation. The flowers are wonderfully large, complex,
purple and white. The leaves and tender stems, when used as tea or
tincture, are a gentle hypnotic, useful in treating insomnia and
nervousness. Cultivation: Extra care. Under normal warm planting
conditions, germination begins in about 20 days, and continues sporadically
and incompletely for several more weeks. To obtain full and rapid germination,
the best technique is what I call “Fire treating:” Sow the seeds
about 1/2 inch deep in good, moist potting soil in a wooden flat which
has been previously soaked to make it fire-resistant. Gather tinder
(dry pine needles and cones work best) and place in a goodly pile (6 inches
high or so) on the surface of the soil in the flat. Light it.
The fire burns for only a few minutes. After the fire, keep the flat
warm and watered. The seeds come up right through the charcoal in
about ten days. Plant 2 feet apart and trellis on the sunny side
of a building or on a fence.
Return
to Herb Seed Index