Passionflower: Five Hundred Species and One Famous Name

Passionflower has the best naming story of anything in our range, and it has nothing to do with passion in the way most people assume.

Where the name comes from

Spanish Christian missionaries in the Americas looked at the flower's elaborate structure and read it as a symbol of the crucifixion of Christ, known as the Passion. The radial filaments became the crown of thorns, the five stamens the wounds. The name stuck, and it is why a tropical American vine ended up with a name from European Christianity.

What it is

Passiflora is a genus of more than 500 species, most of them vines, native to tropical regions of the Americas. Some species produce passion fruit. It reached European herbalism through Spanish explorers and has been grown ornamentally ever since, largely because the flower is genuinely extraordinary to look at.

Taste and smoke

Earthy with a slightly bitter edge. The smoke is smooth. It is not a sweet or floral herb despite the flower, and it sits low in a blend rather than on top.

What to pair it with

Chamomile or lavender, for something softer and more floral. Marshmallow or lemon balm, for a milder and more balanced blend.

In our blends

Passionflower is in Slumber, with lavender, lemon balm, mullein and skullcap. Also as a loose blend.

Tea Tokes blends are tobacco-free and nicotine-free. 21+.