Passion Flower
Passiflora incarnata
PASSIFLORACEAE
Also known as maypop, passion flower is a fairly hardy, indigenous vine with gorgeous pinkish purple flowers that last but a day. First Nations people throughout the Americas have used passion flower to soothe their nerves. The leaves and flowers are a highly-regarded nervine, tranquilizer, relaxant and sedative. Passion flower is often recommended for children as well as adults dealing with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Not a narcotic, and non-addictive, passion flower tincture (10-20 drops) or infusion (one-two cups) is your ally when you feel stressed, tense, anxious, worried, nervous, irritable, exhausted or are having difficulty falling asleep. Smaller doses are tranquilizing, larger doses sedate.
Passion flower is an effective treatment against insomnia and appears to have no adverse side effects or toxicity and no known interactions in combination with other drugs. Passion flower possesses mild psychotropic properties. The vine contains alkaloids harmane and harmaline, which in physiological doses act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and so have an antidepressant effect.