Last updated on May 21st, 2023 at 11:22 pm
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 name of this Latin genus means ‘flower of passion.’ Since the flower of this plant slightly resembles an apricot, it is also called the ‘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 aware 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.
What does the Passion flower symbolize?
The passion flower’s meaning and symbolism is the resurrection of Christ. People call it after Jesus Christ’s Passion (sufferings and death) by Roman Catholic priests in the late 1500s. Various components of this flower, particularly the petals, rays, and sepals, represent aspects of Passion.
Its many strands depict the lashing he received throughout his scourging, the filament of the crown of spikes on His forehead. The symbols are the nails pounded into His hands and feet and the five anthers of this flower symbolize those five wounds..
Apart from that, the red-purple staining on the bloom represents Christ’s blood, and the ovary shafts resemble a cross pillar. The five petals and five-petal-like sepals of the blossom symbolized the ten apostles who stayed true to Jesus all through the Passion. Above blooms, a circle of hair-like structures resembles the crown of thorns that Jesus carried on the day of His death.
According to Christian theology, these blossoms only emerge for 3 days and are thought to represent the three days it took Christ to rise once more. The plant was discovered flourishing in what is now Latin America by the monks who called it.
Passion flowers meaning were thought to be a representation of riches and social status in Victorian times. Interestingly, Queen Victoria gave this blossom a new contemporary connotation.
When Abraham Lincoln died, Queen Victoria prepared a bouquet of passion flowers for his memorial. It’s almost the polar opposite of what everyone else says!
All in all, the passion flower symbolic meanings are:
- crucifixion of Jesus Christ
- belief
- dignity
- harmony
- solidarity
- devotion
- penance
Meaning of the Passion flower colors
White color
The symbolism of a white passion flower is purification and radiance, as white is a bright color. It is also associated with innocence. White has a simplistic beauty about them, so white passion flowers also symbolize humility, elegance, and reverence.
Red color
Red is a passionate color, and a gorgeous red passion flower symbolizes holy emotions, divine passion, love, and affection. Aside from that, it also represents warmth and devotion. You can offer red passion flowers to convey your respect to somebody. This red flower represents courage and desire too.
Pink color
The appearance of pink passion flowers indicates our belief. This flower represents compassion and faith. It also exhibits a great deal of sympathy. It is a gentle, youthful color that stands for grace, joy, and innocence.
Purple color
Purple passion flowers indicate spirituality and dedication to Christ, similar to the deep purple colors worn by priests. Purple is a ceremonious and royal color, symbolizing success and dignity. You can send these flowers to express your admiration for a successful person.
Yellow color
The haziness of this flower’s color represents superstition, mystery, and curiosity. It also expresses our desire to learn more. The yellow color stands for friendship, happiness, and joy. You can send yellow passion flowers to brighten up a loved one’s day, which helps bring a positive mood.
Orange color
With its virtuous color, an orange passion flower symbolizes strong beliefs, high values, and qualities. It serves as a constant reminder of life’s ideals and principles. Orange is also bold and warm; this flower represents happiness and excitement. These passion flowers are a great choice for sending to passionate people.
Blue color
Blue is a tranquil and soothing color. The blue passion flower symbolizes peace and relaxation. If you know someone feeling stressed, help them eliminate the negative energy by sending them blue passion flowers.
Interesting facts about the Passion flowers
- Passion flowers are widely grown as decorative plants in landscapes or as bearing plants for harvesting. Its fresh flower components are used as food and beverage flavorings.
- A passion flower has a psychologically uplifting effect. It reduces mental, physical, and emotional stress while promoting peace in the atmosphere. It also tends to purify the body and mind, allowing for a more pleasant beginning to the day.
- The plant was once used to treat mental illnesses like anxiety, sleeplessness, stress, delirium, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- It is used even today to treat eye ailments, earaches, liver problems, and bruises.
- Passion flower vines are considered invasive pests in locations like Hawaii, where the species has managed to escape domestication.
- Certain scented passion fruits, such as the big Granadilla, are consumed as exquisite dessert fruits (P. quadrangularis).
- 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.
- The Roman Catholics named this flower after passion in the 15th or 16th century.
- Blossoms are also commemorated uniquely in the region of Tennessee in the United States of America. The passion flower was chosen as the official state flower of Tennessee by state school students in 1973!
How to grow Passion flowers
Passion flowers are fast-growing vines, but the flowers only last a day, so you’ll only receive a few blooms at a time. Most passion flower species are simple to grow—so simple that if left to their own devices, they can be considered aggressive growers.
- Plant the passion flower in well-draining but rich and moist soil.
- Place the plant in full sun to partial shade, where they can get at least four to six full hours of sunlight a day to keep the flower vines healthy and blooming.
- Add compost to the planting hole to provide nutrients.
- Mulch around the plant’s base to retain moisture without having the plant become waterlogged.
- Give the plant a deep watering immediately after planting.
- Provide one or two waterings, about 1 to 1.5 inches per week, throughout their growing season.
- Lightly apply balanced, general-purpose fertilizer with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium proportions on a regular basis.
How to care for Passion flowers
- Give the passion flower plant ample water to nourish the leaves and other plant structures so the plant can thrive and flowers and fruit can grow.
- Apply fertilizer to the plant before new growth emerges in early spring, and then repeat every four to six weeks until early autumn.
- Prune them before growth begins each spring to preserve the season’s blooms.
- Remove deadwood to encourage fuller growth.
Best time to gift Passion flowers
The passion flower is a religious sacramental emblem for someone preparing for a religious sacrament. The passion of Christ is the religious rite in question. Offering them flowers at this time of their life would be a perfect gift from you, representing your support, respect, and belief in them.
You would never have seen a more exquisitely lovely blossom than the passion flower. It is a garden favorite in Central America due to its exquisite blooming beauty and delicious passion fruits.
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 passion flowers are the best gift 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.
Conclusion
The passion flower blooms primarily from June to September. Its appearance represents new life. A new period brings with it new things to see. It symbolizes optimism for a better tomorrow, regardless of the difficulties we experience in life. When things aren’t going your way, you should never give up. Always have hope that things will turn out well.
The symbolism of the passion flower encourages you to achieve harmony in your life. You can’t make something out of your life if it’s in ruins. Trust in your ability to achieve great things and begin working toward them. You will always be satisfied if you balance all parts of your life.
If you want to know and learn more about flowers, we at PansyMaiden can help you. Check out our fun, easy-to-read, and informative flower-related content that you will surely enjoy!
PansyMaiden is an online platform where you can find everything to do with flowers. If you love flowers, love to plant them, take care of them, create beautiful flower arrangements and bouquets, or create mesmerizing art using flowers, this is the right place for you.