Do you know the rich history behind passionflower? This lovely vine is a particular favorite around Easter, when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus and gather to celebrate the risen Christ, finding symbolism in these spectacular flowers.
Passiflora caerulea grows freely in my garden in heavy, clayey soils.
Photo Credit: David L. Morgan
Look carefully, and you can see how each part of the flower became a symbol.
Photo Credit: David L. Morgan
The fruit of the passion vine, called maypop, produces a nutritious juice.
Photo Credit: David L. Morgan
Passiflora is a genus of more than 400 species of mostly evergreen tendril climbers, including a few annuals, perennials, shrubs and even trees. They’re found in nature in mostly tropical or subtropical climes, in woodlands, on rocks and in grasslands. Their habitats include North, Central and South America, as well as tropical Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
Suffice to say, you could find a Passiflora selection suitable to grow in your garden – and I daresay you’d be pleased to do so. I grow one on a simple trellis in mostly full sun, but I’ve noticed that the vine flowers in partial shade, too. It thrives in gummy clay, alkaline soils. It also grows rampantly, and I’ve found it popping up in nearby flower beds and climbing up my bur oak tree.
Mine’s called Passiflora caerulea (although I’m not sure what its cultivar is). The flower has the distinguishing purple-, blue- and white-zoned coronas (those rings of fleshy filaments) of the species. I kind of like the blue, but you might prefer the lovely purple-, red- or white-flowering selections, which are also found in the trade.
It’s possible the commonly grown Passiflora edulis (the edible passionflower and producer of passion fruit) is the species Spanish conquistadors came to use as symbols to teach Christianity to the indigenous people of the New World.
According to the conquistadors and their teachings, the five petals and five sepals of the plant were said to represent the 10 apostles (leaving out Judas, the betrayer of Jesus; and Peter, because he denied knowing Christ). The purple corolla has approximately 72 filaments, which reportedly was the number of thorns in Jesus’ crown. The three prominent stigmas of the plant were said to represent the nails used on the cross, while the five stamens were claimed to symbolize the number of wounds in Jesus’ hands. (Catholics and those in South and Central America still call the plant the “flower of the five wounds.”) The lance-like leaf lobes were explained as being symbolic of the spear that punctured Jesus’ side, and the dark spots under the leaves said to symbolize the 33 pieces of silver paid to Judas to betray Jesus. The flowers die after a single day – the time Jesus spent on the cross. And because the petals reclose over the ovary, the conquistadors pointed out that this was similar to Jesus being placed in the tomb and seen as the “hidden wisdom” that constitutes the “mysteries of the cross.”
Later, authors further embellished the symbolism of the plant so that the white petals came to represent the purity of Jesus; the palmate leaves, the hands of his persecutors; and the clinging tendrils, the cords of Jesus’ bondage or the whips with which he was lashed. The fruit then becomes the Earth, for which Jesus promised salvation.
Even if this Christian symbology is of no interest to you, the spectacular flower of this amazing plant should be. The vine is easy to grow, and though vigorous, it’s not a serious invader. And if you’re patient, it may even produce some tasty fruit for your garden in midsummer. Bon appétit! And Happy Easter!
