Passion-flower is a type of woody vine that has unusual blossoms. Roman Catholic priests of the late 1500’s named it for the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus Christ. They believed several parts of the flower, including the petals, rays, and sepals, symbolized features of the Passion. The flower’s five petals and five petallike sepals represented the 10 apostles who remained faithful to Jesus throughout the Passion. The circle of hairlike rays above the petals suggested the crown of thorns Jesus wore on the day of his death. Passion-flowers are also called granadillas or maypops.
The priests who named the vine found it growing in what is now Latin America. Today, gardeners in many parts of the world raise passion-flowers for the blossoms. The flowers may be almost any color or combination of colors. Their diameter ranges from 1/2 inch to 6 inches (13 to 150 millimeters).
Many species (kinds) of passion-flowers bear a fruit called passion fruit. These round or oblong fruits range from yellow to purple in color and contain many edible seeds. Passion fruits taste slightly sour or very sweet, depending on the species. They are eaten whole and also are used to make juice, marmalade, ice cream, and other refreshments.
Most of the hundreds of species of passion-flowers grow in warm regions of the world. The yellow fruit of the purple granadilla is the passion fruit most commonly used to make juice.
