Some nights, the problem isn’t that you can’t sleep. It’s that your mind won’t stop racing. Herbalist Rosalee de la Foret said that’s exactly when passionflower shines.
“Rather than knocking you out like a simple sedative, passionflower helps ease that mental chatter so sleep can arrive on its own,” she told The Epoch Times.
More than 500 species of passionflower exist; the official species is Passiflora incarnata, which grows abundantly in the southeastern United States, particularly from Florida to Texas. Most are climbing vines that produce intricate flowers and fruits with a sharp flavor that combines sweet and sour with hints of orange and pineapple. The medicinal parts of the plant are the flowers, leaves, and stems.
Other common names for passionflower that refer to the fruit are maypop, apricot vine, passion vine, water lemon, granadilla, maracuyá, and sweet calabash.
How Passionflower Works
Passionflower is a great herb for supporting the nervous system. It works in part by increasing GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels in the brain, which slows nerve cell activity and calms the body.
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Compounds in passionflower, such as alkaloids and flavonoids, are thought to bind to and modulate GABA receptors in the central nervous system, promoting a calming effect throughout the body.
Sleep
Passionflower is best suited to nights when “your body is exhausted, but your mind refuses to slow down,” de la Foret said, especially when you’re stuck in a cycle of circular thinking and replaying the same thought.
The 19th- and early 20th-century eclectic physicians, who focused on plant-based remedies and the body’s natural ability to heal itself, recommended it for people kept awake by worry or overwork. They described the resulting sleep as restful, with people waking refreshed rather than groggy, de la Foret said.
Anxiety
De la Foret describes passionflower as a relaxing nervine, meaning that “it helps soothe a frazzled nervous system.”
“It’s a lovely ally when anxiety shows up as that racing, spinning feeling, where the mind keeps circling, and the body can’t quite settle,” she said.
Several small trials have tested it against anti-anxiety medications.
“Passionflower can also help with those moments we know are coming, like a trip to the dentist,” de la Foret said.
As an herbalist, de la Foret also knows when passionflower really excels.
“What I find especially helpful is knowing who passionflower works best for,” she said. “It’s particularly well suited to people who feel fragile, depleted, or worn thin, whether from chronic illness, overwork, worry, or simply years of carrying too much.”
Additional Benefits
Passionflower is traditionally used for other problems tied to an overactive nervous system.
Passionflower is an antispasmodic, meaning it helps relax tight, cramping muscles, de la Foret said. Many herbalists find it works best when taken at the first signs of spasms rather than when they have already set in, so taking it sooner rather than later is best, she said.
Passionflower also has analgesic effects and can relieve mild pain, including aches and tension-related discomfort, de la Foret said, adding that it is particularly helpful when pain and stress are intertwined.
Passionflower may ease menopausal symptoms by increasing GABA and calming the central nervous system.
You can use passionflower externally for burns and hemorrhoids, and Native Americans have used it to treat wounds by making a poultice from the roots.
How to Take Passionflower
Passionflower comes as a tea, tincture, glycerite, or capsule, and it is often dried.
Tinctures are liquid herbal extracts made by soaking plant parts (either fresh or dried) in a solvent such as alcohol, vinegar, or vegetable glycerine. Different herb-to-solvent ratios and alcohol strengths are used.
Glycerites are alcohol-free herbal extracts made by soaking herbs and other plant parts in vegetable glycerine. They are used as an alternative to alcohol-based tinctures, making them safe for children and pets, and they have a naturally sweet flavor.
Passionflower pairs well with other herbs, de la Foret said
“It’s frequently blended into formulas, such as with valerian for sleep or chamomile for anxiety,” she said, adding that the fruits are delicious.
Dosages can vary by person and by the quality of the herbs used. The following dosages are considered safe, de la Foret noted, but she recommends starting with smaller amounts and slowly increasing them to see how your body responds.
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Tea: 6 to 9 grams daily
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Capsules: 2 grams, three times a day
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Tincture (dried herb, 1:5, 40% alcohol): 3 to 5 mL four times a day, or smaller doses more frequently
The tincture formula above means that 1 gram of dried herbs—rather than fresh—is used for every 5 mL of liquid solvent. Forty percent alcohol is the alcohol content of any 80-proof spirit, such as vodka.
Some people should be cautious before using passionflower, including pregnant women and those taking sedative medications such as benzodiazepines, as taking both simultaneously can increase their sedative effects. Consult with a clinical herbalist before using in these cases.
Butterfly Sanctuary
Passionflower does more than calm people and help them sleep. It’s also the host plant for the gulf fritillary—a bright orange butterfly common across the southern United States.
Females lay their eggs on the vines, and the caterpillars, which are orange with menacing-looking black spines, eat every part of the plant.
“They can strip a vine surprisingly fast, so if you grow passionflower and find it looking a little chewed, take heart. You’re raising butterflies!” de la Foret said.
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Final Thoughts
The next time you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or struggle to sleep—common experiences for most of us—instead of reaching into your medicine cabinet, consider trying passionflower tea or taking a few drops of tincture. This herbal alternative may help ease your symptoms naturally without the need for medication.
