PASSION FLOWER (Passiflora incarnate)
By Sally Cross, qualified Master Herbalist of Natural Change. Natural Health, Herbal, Life & Menopause Coach.
We have an abundance of beautiful passion flowers developing in the garden right now. Yesterday I harvested some of these medicinal plants from my garden, making sure to leave plenty for the bees. I then popped them into the dehydrator to dry. Now they are stored in glass jars ready for making my homemade passion flower tincture. This is a herbal remedy that I use and benefit from myself, and often suggest it to my clients. Passion flower is a beautiful climbing vine that thrives in this climate we have in the Azores. A native plant of the USA, it has been used as a sedative by the Native people of America for centuries. Sixteenth-century Spanish explorers brought the plant with them back to Europe, where it became widely cultivated and was introduced to European folk medicine. Today, passionflower is a well known herbal remedy as an Analgesic, Anticonvulsant, Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Calmative, Neurasthenia, mild Sedative, Spasmolytic, Sympathetic dominance regulation and a Vasodilator. It is the aerial parts of the plant that are used; flowers, leaves and vines, in dried or fresh form in tea infusions and tinctures. The plant contains phytochemicals; flavonoids, maltol and benzoflaone. It’s uses are for - Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Drug withdrawal symptoms, Dysmenorrhea, Endometrial pain, Fatigue, Headache, Insomnia, reduces Irritable Bowel and Intestinal Colic symptoms, Nervous Irritability and restlessness, Peri-menopausal hot flushes/flashes, PMS, Stress relief, emotional and mental tension. I am fortunate to have passion flower vines growing wildly in our garden amongst the fig trees and hibiscus. The fruit it produces here is disappointing, so I am more than happy to harvest the flowers and leaves to make my tinctures. The bees benefit from the flowers that I can’t reach and get quite tipsy on it’s powerful nectar. It is advisable to seek advice from your Primary Healthcare Practitioner and a qualified herbalist, before taking any herbal remedies. Please be aware that some herbs are contra-indicated in pregnancy, breast feeding, present medical conditions and current medications. My advice is general, not intended for any one particular individual, so taking any of these suggested herbs, you do so entirely at your own risk. If you would like more information on how herbs can help you, please do not hesitate to contact me. https://www.naturalchangewithsallycross.com https://www.facebook.com/naturalchangewithsally
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