Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Passiflora incarnata
Family: Passifloraceae
Part used: Aerial Parts
Taste: Bitter
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Dry

No pre-1900 source found for this reading.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Insufficient data; avoid

While breastfeeding

Limited data; moderate short-term use likely compatible; avoid high doses during breastfeeding.

For children

Generally considered safe in low doses; used for children's anxiety

Cautions

Avoid with MAOIs; caution with sedating medications and driving

General contraindications

Insufficient safety data; avoid

Stewardship

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is cultivated and wild in southeastern US. Stewardship: the cross-floral symbolism of Passiflora points to Christ's passion — a plant embedded in catechetical tradition.

In the traditional record

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) — named by 16th-century Spanish missionaries in South America who saw in the flower's structure the symbols of Christ's Passion (the crown of thorns, the five wounds, the three nails); used by indigenous peoples of the Americas and adopted into European and Eclectic practice as a nervine and sedative.

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.