Passion flower : Meaning, Symbolism, and Colors
When you see a passion flower, you will find how intricately God has designed this beautiful flower. This flower is very popular in Central America and is a native flower of the neotropical regions. People love to grow passion flowers in their gardens as fruit trees or ornamental vines. The Passion flower plant is the same which also bears the passion fruit. Many people get this flower tattooed on them. This can make you think about the passion flower tattoo meaning. You can understand that the name of this Latin genus means ‘flower of passion’. Since the flower of this plant slightly resembles an apricot, it is also called ‘Apricot vine’. Another name for this flower is ‘Maypop’, and its scientific name is ‘Passiflora Incarnata’.
A Spanish doctor discovered the Passion flower in Peru in 1569. European countries became of this flower at a much later date. It was in the year 1633 that the flower was described as a showy flower that bears edible fruits. The Passion flower belongs to the ‘Passifloraceae’ and the ‘Passiflora’ genus. There are approximately 500 striking species in this family.
Passion flowers attract a lot of butterflies and these climbers have tendrils. Though a few of these species can grow as herbs and shrubs too. If you love how a passion flower looks and wants to get it drawn on yourself, read on to more about every possible passion flower tattoo meaning.
What do Passion flowers symbolize?
A Passion flower symbolizes a few things and the most dominant symbolism is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of Christ’s last moments, his sufferings on the Cross before the resurrection. The flower is symbolic of all the things that happened in those hours which thankfully led to the salvation of humankind. Let’s see how the different physical characteristics of the flower symbolize different events. This information will help you to get a better understanding of a passion flower tattoo meaning.
The five anthers
In a passion flower, you will see the anthers below the stigmas. Roman soldiers had inflicted five injuries on Jesus while he was tied to the cross. The five anthers of this flower symbolize those five wounds.
Filaments
The filaments of this flower are corona filaments because they form the shape of a crown. They grow in a circle above the sepals and petals. The Romans had made Jesus wear the crown of thorns to make fun of him. The corona filaments symbolize this crown of thorns.
The Fruit
The Maypop fruit is round and represents the earth. It signifies how Christ saved the earth after dying on the cross. The fruit also symbolizes belief, dignity, harmony, solidarity, devotion, and penance. Jesus overcame death because he resurrected himself on the third day. Initially, he had sacrificed his life so that humankind would be purged of sin.
Sepals and Petals
There are five sepals and five petals in a Passion flower. To understand the passion flower tattoo meaning, you have to consider the sepals as the petals too. When Jesus was being crucified, he had ten faithful followers around him. The ten petals of this flower are a representation of those ten followers.
What do the various colors of the Passion flower mean?
A passion flower stands for a beginning. It is a reminder of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and also wants you to believe in the future. To be peaceful, you must reassure your heart that tomorrow is going to be a fruitful and positive day. But when you want to decode the passion flower tattoo meaning, its color plays a part in it too.
Blue – This is a tranquil and soothing color. Blue Passion flower symbolizes peace and relaxation. If you know someone who is feeling stressed out, help them get rid of the negative energy by sending them blue passion flowers.
Orange – This is a virtuous color and an orange passion flower symbolizes principles, strong beliefs, and values. Orange is also a bold and warm color, and this flower stands for happiness and excitement. These passion flowers are a great choice for sending to passionate people.
Pink – Pink passion flower represents compassion and faith. It is a gentle and youthful color that stands for grace, joy, and innocence.
Purple – The color purple is associated with religiousness and Christ. That is why you will find this color on priests. Purple is a ceremonious and royal color, and it symbolizes success and dignity. You can send these flowers to express your admiration for a successful person.
Red – This is a passionate color and a red passion flower symbolizes the holy emotions, love, and affection. You can also offer red passion flowers to convey your respect to somebody. Red represents courage and desire too.
White – A white passion flower signifies purity as white is a bright color. It is also associated with innocence. White has a simplistic beauty about them and that’s why white passion flowers symbolize humility, elegance, and reverence.
Yellow – The yellow of a passion flower is hazy like the flower in the image you see above. This is why it symbolizes mystery, curiosity, and also superstition. The color yellow stands for friendship, happiness, and joy. You can send yellow passion flowers to brighten up a loved one’s day as it helps to bring a positive mood.
Interesting facts and characteristics of the Passion Flower
- This flower is used as a flavoring agent for food and drinks.
- The height of these plants can be anywhere between 2 feet to 65 feet!
- In South America, these flowers were discovered by Christian missionaries.
- Passion flowers were used in traditional medicines to treat psychological disorders like stress, anxiety, and ADHD.
- It is used even today to treat eye ailments, earaches, liver problems, and bruises.
- The Roman Catholics had named this flower after passion in the 15th or 16th century.
Best time to gift someone Passion flowers
Now you that are aware of what a passion flower symbolizes and what each color of the flower means, it will be easy for you to gift them. Ponder over the personality of the recipient before sending them passion flowers. You may send the red or pink ones to your beloved. Orange and yellow flowers are best when you want to cheer a friend up. You can send flowers to couples who are about to become parents/ have become parents to a newborn, and so on.
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