What Is Passionflower?

Passionflower is a perennial vine with stunning purple flowers. Its fruit is edible, and is closely related to the more commercially available passion fruit.

Passionflower is the state wildflower of Tennessee. The Ocoee River and valley in Tennessee area get their name from the Cherokee word for passionflower. For thousands of years it was a staple food and medicinal plant for the Cherokee. [1] When Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) visited Virginia in the 1600s, he wrote about Native Americans planting passionflower for the fruits, which were eaten raw, prepared into juice, or boiled to make syrup. [2]

Historical Use Of Passionflower

Historically, passionflower has been used as an herbal medicine to treat anxiety, insomnia, or hypertension. The entire above ground part of the plant, leaves, stems, flowers are used as an herbal tea.

Passionflower was often used by Native Americans for its sedative properties to relieve nervousness and insomnia. The Cherokee drank a root infusion to treat liver problems, while the Housma used such tea as a blood tonic. Externally, the Cherokee applied passionflower to treat boils, wounds, and earaches. [3]

Modern Information About Passionflower

A 2011 clinical study concluded that sleep quality increased significantly for passionflower compared with a placebo. [4]

The European Medicines Agency concluded in 2016 that passionflower can be used for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and as a natural aid sleep. [5]